On Tuesday, stronger southwest winds throughout the Mosquito Fire area cleared the smoke inversion and caused fire behavior to become more active. It is now 58,544 acres in size with the containment line updated at 20%.
At the morning briefing Wednesday, fire officials told the firefighters to expect more of the same fire behavior with the smoke inversion lifting around 1 p.m. There are currently 3,052 people assigned to the fire. They also instructed firefighters to be safe and aware of the residents who have not evacuated and don’t want them on their property.
At this time, 11,277 people are evacuated between the two counties, with approximately 5,848 structures threatened. More damage assessment has been completed with 65 structures destroyed, and 10 damaged.
The Mosquito Fire spotted across the Middle Fork of the American River into the Pond Creek Drainage, which is just below the community of Foresthill. Steep terrain and critically dry fuels drove rapid fire growth and an aggressive upslope run towards Foresthill Road. A large contingency of firefighters and additional equipment responded to this southeast corner of the fire to actively defend and hold the fire along contingency lines. Over the past week, crews have been preparing a large number of these contingency lines around the fire as a way to prepare for situations like this where the fire escapes primary control lines.
Overnight, firefighters successfully held the fire within control lines along the southern edge of Foresthill and Todd Valley. On the northwest corner, crews were able to continue strategic firing operations along control lines from the Foresthill Divide Road to Deadwood Road. This four-mile stretch of line is crucial for helping hook and stop the fire’s northern spread. A large number of dozers and heavy equipment continued to work through the night in the areas to the east of the fire to build indirect control lines ahead of the advancing fire front. The fire remains active on this eastern front, steadily burning and advancing in heavy unburned fuels.
Today’s number one priority remains strengthening and securing the southwest corner of the fire to protect and defend the communities of Foresthill and Todd Valley. Firefighters are prepared to actively engage in structure defense along the edges of these communities should the fire make similar runs as it did on Tuesday. Weather conditions are forecasted to be the same today with continued southwest winds, which will lead to clear skies and better ventilation for fire growth.
Evacuation orders and warnings remain for the communities surrounding the Mosquito Fire. Firefighters ask that residents take these orders seriously and leave the area when instructed to do so. The fire area remains a
dynamic situation that may change at any time, as evidenced by the fire activity on Tuesday afternoon.
For Placer County evacuation zones, https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/07930e6e8f034ae4bba71e8bfedb2779/page/Sheriff-Evacuations-Map/ and for El Dorado County evacuation zones, https://eldoradocounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bfbfd933f4254a0db4bdbb2ebe866c10&fbclid=IwAR3J_vO2T2MoA2zjHn365vLIISMCF5egSMFVcitiW4mFe1NWN75v65Dt32I.