Click the arrow below for more coverage of the Mosquito Fire burning in Northern California.
Develop all
The Mosquito Fire intensified overnight Friday as it continues to tear through the rugged foothills of Placer and El Dorado counties, threatening more than 3,000 homes. The fire is now estimated at 33,754 acres, an increase of about 4,000 acres from the previous day, Cal Fire said Saturday morning. The fire threatens nearly 5,900 structures in Foresthill, Volcanoville, Georgetown and other communities in the Sierra foothills. The fire, which started Tuesday night near Oxbow Reservoir in Placer County, remains 0 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. Several communities remain under evacuation orders, including Foresthill, Georgetown, Todd Valley, Volcanoville and Michigan Bluff. The El Dorado National Forest Twitter account said Saturday that 11,117 people have been evacuated. An estimated 1,700 firefighters are battling the blaze. The cause has not been determined, Cal Fire said. Fire officials said structures have been damaged in Volcanoville. There are also reports of damage in Foresthill. “The fire affected the town of Foresthill (Thursday) night and (Friday) morning,” the Foresthill Fire District wrote on its website Friday night. “While we don’t have specific details on property loss, we do know that crews from across the state assigned to protect our community did a valiant job minimizing property damage, and we are grateful for their efforts in very adverse conditions.”
Sacramento area smoke forecast
Air in much of the Sierra foothills near the fire remains hazardous Saturday morning. But the Sacramento Valley could see relief Saturday and Sunday. Air quality readings Saturday morning in the Auburn area showed “hazardous” conditions, meaning residents should avoid all outdoor physical activity. Similar conditions were observed in the Grass Valley and Nevada City area. The U.S. Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program wrote Saturday that air quality around Auburn and the foothills will improve slightly this afternoon but remain at unhealthy levels. Folsom, Granite Bay, Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln all had air quality in the “good” to “moderate” range. The air was fair in most of Sacramento County. Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said offshore winds should blow the smoke eastward on Saturday, but that “there will still be quite a bit of smoke in the foothills.” The wind could push some smoke and fog from the coast into the area. Higher elevations south of the 50 Freeway could see a few showers or thunderstorms, he said. That moisture will move north on Sunday, but will likely remain east of the Mosquito Fire. Firefighters battling the blaze will see relief from the heat wave after Saturday. After days of triple-digit readings, the high temperature in the Foresthill area was forecast to reach 88 degrees on Saturday.
A burglary suspect was arrested in the fire
Placer County sheriff’s deputies said Friday they have arrested an El Dorado County man suspected of burglarizing a home inside the evacuation zone. Logan Gross, 20, was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a home in the 6000 block of Parkwood Court in Todd Valley, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said on social media. Deputies said they found items taken from the home inside Gross’ truck. Law enforcement said they are patrolling the evacuation zones of Placer and El Dorado counties to protect homes from burglaries. This story was originally published on September 10, 2022 at 9:23 am. Related stories from the Sacramento Bee Ryan Lillis covers housing, real estate and development for The Sacramento Bee. He has been a reporter at The Bee since 2006 and previously covered crime, City Hall, fires and the Central Valley and was assistant publishing director. A native of New York state, he is a graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Journalism.
