Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
The Mosquito Fire burned another 5,000-plus acres Sunday. The latest maps show acreage burned at 46,587 acres. Containment remains 10%.
Containment lines are holding north of Quintette and in the Volcanoville Road area, reported fire officials at a community briefing Sunday night. The blaze is no longer progressing toward Stumpy Meadows Reservoir. Firefighters say they are seeing the most growth on the Placer County side of the fire.
Winds in the forecast could change fire conditions.
A southwest wind flow is predicted over the next 24 hours that could drive the fire upslope and into canyons. Deadwood Ridge, Chicken Hawk Ridge, Ralston Ridge, Long Canyon, Middle Fork American River and Rubicon River start to come into alignment for fire spread, according to fire behavior analysts.
Sunday morning Cal Fire reported the Mosquito Fire has burned 41,443 acres and is 10% contained.
From Cal Fire: Cooler temperatures and higher humidity assisted fire crews with moderating some fire activity on the Mosquito Fire Saturday, however an increase in winds has spread the fire to the north and northeast. Firefighters have been working to build control lines along the area of Foresthill Road and out in front of the head of the fire toward the north and northeast. A spot fire in the area of Chicken Hawk occurred and firefighters were able to contain that fire with the help of dozers and aircraft. Crews are opening up previously used control lines from past fires to assist in their efforts. Firefighters have been making good progress on the southern edge of the fire using dozer and handlines. A large amount of resources have been working to hold the fire at Volcanoville Road as well as north of Quintette.
More resources from throughout California continue to arrive to assist in the suppression efforts. Both fixed-wing and rotor-wing aircraft continue to assist ground crews as flying conditions allow.
From the U.S. Forest Service:
Fire behavior Saturday was moderate, consisting of isolated torching, uphill runs, and short-range spotting. When air cleared, the fire exhibited isolated torching and slope runs, especially on the southwest side near Georgetown. Elsewhere around the perimeter, fire behavior was reduced under the smoke inversion. Critically dry vegetation is readily igniting and burning despite the improved weather. When rollouts occurred, the fire made upslope runs.
Saturday night, fire behavior moderated as humidity increased.
Smoke and clouds over the fire Sunday should somewhat reduce fire behavior, although the vegetation remains critically dry and is burning readily. Firefighters are taking full advantage of the reduced fire behavior and using direct-suppression tactics as much as they can. Where they are unable to get close to the fire’s edge, they are using indirect tactics, such as using heavy equipment to create new fireline or open firelines from previous fires that have since grown over with brush and trees.
• 33,754 acres brush and timber, 0% contained (acreage provided by sensor aircraft)
• Continued threat to structures with multiple communities threatened
• Threats exist to structures, critical infrastructure, endangered species, watersheds, cultural, private timberlands and heritage resources
• Smoke inversion layer is affecting available use and effectiveness of aviation assets
• Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place
• A new shelter location has opened at Green Valley Community Church, 3500 Missouri Flat Road in Placerville. This location will accept human evacuees and small/domestic animals on leashes or in crates. No large animals no birds. Limited RV parking, no hookups. Limited indoor capacity.
• Road, area and trail closures
• El Dorado and Placer County FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant applications approved
• CAL FIRE ECC Support Team 5 assigned
• CAIIMT Team 5 (Young) in command
• Unified command Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service
After firefighters saw the Mosquito Fire explode 4,000 acres overnight Wednesday and another 5,000 the next afternoon, the blaze grew 9,000-plus acres Thursday night.
Acreage burned in the Mosquito Fire was mapped at 29,585 acres midday Friday. Firefighters had not gained any containment, according to U.S. Forest Service data.
When the Mosquito Fire sent embers across Oxbow Reservoir and into El Dorado County Thursday it sparked a 5,000-plus-acre run up to Volcanoville, reported Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Mike Blankenheim. He told attendees of a community briefing Thursday night some structures in Volcanoville were lost.
“I don’t have a good handle on it yet but it’s definitely not the whole community by any stretch,” he said.
The Georgetown Fire Department reported 20-30 structures were lost to the Mosquito Fire in Volcanoville and one in Foresthill.
Blankenheim noted the blaze crossed Oxbow right under Volcanoville and “got up into the wind and started moving east again.”
Blankenheim predicted the fire will “probably” end up at Stumpy Meadows Reservoir inside the 2014 King Fire burn scar.
“The fire is pushing pretty hard right now east up the Rubicon Drainage and up the American River Drainage,” he said.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, PG&E officials say and electrical fault occurred near Oxbow Reservoir at about the same time the blaze began Sept. 6. PG&E subsequently submitted anelectric incident report to the California Public Utilities Commission.
“Thus far, PG&E has observed no damage or abnormal conditions to the pole or its facilities near the reservoir and has not observed any downed conductor in the area or any vegetation or tree on the line,” shared PG&E officials in a statement, noting the 60-kilovolt transmission pole was replaced with a steel pole approximately 10 years ago and inspection of the pole and equipment was performed within the last five months. No adverse conditions were identified, according to PG&E.
Hot and dry weather as well as a forecast for gusty winds continues to challenge crews on the fire line. Incident command’s operational objective is to build containment lines both by hand and bulldozer around the fire. Multiple helicopters and large tankers are supporting the effort on the ground. Firefighters assigned to tactical patrol will work to keep the fire within the current fire perimeter but steep terrain will continue to challenge personnel and make direct attack difficult, states Friday morning’s incident report.
Current mandatory evacuation orders in El Dorado County stretch from Greenwood to Stumpy Meadows. Evacuation warnings have also gone out to residents of Cool, Garden Valley, Mosquito/Swansboro and almost as far east as Loon Lake. A map of evacuated areas can be viewed atbit.ly/MosquitoFireEvacs.
An evacuation center that was set up at Cool Community Church has been relocated to Cameron Park Community Services District facilities at 2502 Country Club Drive in Cameron Park.
Evacuees with horses can call the Rancho Murieta Equestrian Center at (916) 826-4278 to coordinate shelter. Evacuees can take other large animals to Flying M Ranch, 5421 Buck Mountain Road in Placerville.
Small domestic animals can be sheltered at the El Dorado County Animal Services facility at 6435 Capitol Ave. in Diamond Springs.
Schools in the Black Oak Mine Unified School District were closed Friday. El Dorado County leaders also announced the Rubicon Trail will be shut down until further notice.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency for El Dorado and Placer counties due to the Mosquito Fire and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s regional administrator has authorized use of federal funds to assist the state in the firefight. Federal grants could cover up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs, according to a news release from FEMA.
In evacuated areas law enforcement personnel are keeping an eye out for looters. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reported arresting a man Wednesday night in the evacuated area of Volcanoville on such suspicions. The suspect, who had an ID with an Auburn address, was driving with a false license plate and was found in possession of a gun with no serial numbers, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to sheriff’s officials.