We’ll have all the latest news on the Mosquito Fire and other major wildfires in California throughout the day. Latest updates:
Mosquito fire falls on tiny volcano Fire officials said most of the action Saturday was near Volcanoville, 17 miles northeast of Auburn and 35 miles west of Lake Tahoe as the crow flies. The unincorporated community of 231 residents is south of where the Mosquito Fire did its early damage in Michigan Bluff and Foresthill. Firefighters worked in and around the city, putting out hot spots and cutting down dead trees. Some fire engines were stationed in the streets of neighboring houses. On Volcanoville Road approaching town, three firefighters bent over a tree and doused the inside of the trunk with water through a hole in the side. The ground around them was ash and huge trees had fallen everywhere. The fire destroyed at least one property on Trinity Trail in Volcanoville. A “Beware of Dog” and “Smile You’re on Camera” sign was untouched. But everything else was destroyed – what once appeared to be a building was now a pile of rubble. Tree trunks surrounding the property were still smoldering.
Homeowners leave sprinklers running as they leave the fire Near Otter Creek School, some homeowners had left their sprinklers on as they evacuated. Pink flame retardant, dropped from the air earlier, covering lawns, vehicles and a ‘No Trespassing’ sign. A haze of smoke billowed from charred areas around the road as some firefighters worked with shovels to dig into the earth. “I’m sweating,” said one firefighter, wiping his forehead. A burning fence post flames from the Mosquito Fire jumped the American River, burning structures in Volcanoville, California on September 10, 2022. The fast-moving Mosquito Fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills doubled in size on Friday to at least 46 square miles and threatened 3,600 houses, while covering the area in smoke. Andri Tambunan/Special to The Chronicle The fire destroyed several structures on Volcanoville Road. On one estate, the only thing left were three American flags, still attached to a wooden fence. Fire officials surveyed the disaster. Nearby, employees staple a yellow piece of paper to a log that reads, “1 small cab – loss” and “1 attachment – loss.” The fire is raging through the neighborhood, uprooting trees and burning the landscape. Smoke was still rising into the air.
‘You never dream it’ll find your little slice of paradise’: Mosquito Fire turns nightmare into reality Jonathan Richards got the message he feared Thursday afternoon. Georgetown, a northeastern town in El Dorado County, has been ordered to evacuate as the Mosquito Fire rages in the Tahoe National Forest. He and his family moved into a house in Georgetown a year and a half ago, fully aware that the California wildfires had incinerated communities like his. The fire insurance bill Richards was paying kept this threat front and center in his mind. However, the fire was not something he liked to imagine becoming a reality. Read more about a displaced person’s nightmare.
Auburn evacuation shelter moves to Rocklin A former Mosquito Shelter in Auburn has now been relocated to Sierra College in Rocklin, about midway between Auburn and Sacramento, ReadyPlacer.org reported this morning. The emergency shelter at 5100 Sierra College Blvd. opened today at 10 a.m. for evacuees, with support from the American Red Cross, California Gold Country Region. According to the official Placer County Twitter account, “The former shelter at Bell Road Baptist Church in Auburn is now closed. RV/Trailer Temporary Evacuation Point Parking at Auburn Regional Park Gym (3770 Richardson Dr, Auburn) remains open for parking, bathrooms and shower access ONLY (no hookups, sleeping area, etc.).
The Walker Fire in Mendocino County is almost completely contained Firefighters battling the Walker Fire south of Willits in Mendocino County have reached 97 percent containment as of Saturday morning, according to Cal Fire. The brush fire started east of the 101 Freeway near Walker Road on Sept. 1 and injured five firefighters. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the 124-acre fire.
Blue skies in the evacuated Georgetown, where some locals live Skies were clear Saturday morning in the town of Georgetown, 10 miles east of Auburn on Highway 193, which was evacuated Thursday afternoon because of the Mosquito Fire. But Randy Erwin, who works at Georgetown’s Gas and Go, said the blue sky was a big difference from Friday’s smoke. “Yesterday it was so thick you could cut it with a knife,” he said. Ervin kept the store open for law enforcement and firefighters working in the area. He said at any given time, at least three trucks stop for fuel. And they are not only the first to come to the small store. Residents also stopped by to stock up on frozen dinners and cans of beer. Georgetown resident Michael Guest, 31, came to get fuel for his dirt bike. The visitor said he refused to evacuate. “I’m not leaving my house,” he said. Guest said he was monitoring the fire from several lookouts in the forest. He said it appeared the fire was still far from Georgetown. “It’s been a rough week,” he said, before heading back home to ride his dirt bike to check on the fire again.
“If we burn, we burn,” says a woman evacuating with goats Lynnette Rollins-Brown, 71, and her 16-year-old granddaughter were standing near the town of Cool, three miles outside of Auburn, next to a trailer filled with seven goats. The two women had been evacuated — along with Rollins-Brown’s daughter-in-law — two days earlier from Garden Valley when the mosquito fire jumped toward Volcanoville. Since none of the shelters accept goats, the three were camped out behind Cool’s fire station. Lynnette Rollins-Brown of Garden Valley, California evacuated with her beloved goats and 16-year-old granddaughter near the town of Cool on September 10, 2022. The California Mosquito Fire, burning near the town of Foresthill in Placer County, has reached 33,754 acres. Andri Tambunan/Special to The Chronicle Her goats are her backyard babies — better than dogs, she said. Rollins-Brown said it was her first time being evicted after living on her 20-acre property for 31 years. “If we burn, we burn,” he said. “All that matters are these things — my family and goats.”
The change in weather on Friday meant slower growth for the Mosquito Fire While the Mosquito Fire exploded by more than 21,000 acres on Thursday and another 8,500 acres on Friday, its growth slowed to just 4,200 acres overnight into Saturday morning. Fire officials explained at a town hall with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office that increased humidity combined with cooler temperatures and slower winds helped slow the fire. Cal Fire fire analyst Rob Scott explained that Thursday was “a big day” for development, with temperatures reaching 95 degrees with 15 percent humidity and six-mile-per-hour winds all contributing to the fire’s spread. . But on Friday, he said, all those conditions improved. The temperature dropped to 88, with 20% humidity and winds below 3 mph. “This is a good day considering what we’re seeing,” he said. Moving forward, fire behavior will depend on what the wind and smoke do, he said. If the smoke remains above the fire, it means that the fire has covered and its behavior will be more like the calm behavior of Friday.
Mosquito fire grows to 33,700 acres as of Saturday morning The Mosquito Fire burning in El Dorado and Placer counties grew to more than 33,700 acres overnight — up from 29,500 late Friday — and remains 0 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. The Sierra Foothills wildfire, which started Tuesday night north of Oxbow Reservoir in Placer County, erupted Friday, forcing thousands of residents to flee with little or no time to gather their belongings. It continued to burn out of control without containment, and temperatures are expected to remain above 100 degrees with low humidity Saturday, making it difficult to attack the fire on steep terrain, officials said.
Cooler temperatures and rain in Southern California are helping to suppress the deadly Fairview wildfire Firefighters made significant progress against the Fairview Fire in Riverside County on Friday as moisture from Tropical Storm Kay “significantly reduced” fire activity, according to Cal Fire, and the fire is now 40 percent contained. Cooler temperatures are also expected through the weekend as the California heatwave recedes. The deadly Fairview wildfire has burned nearly 30,000 acres, damaged or destroyed 17 structures, injured one and killed two people. Evacuation orders remain in effect.
Firefighters are making progress on the Mill and Mountain fires in…
