SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – For over week firefighters have been fighting the Mosquito Fire which is now 67,669 acres. The containment line remains at 20%. Currently, 3,873 personnel are assigned to the fire.
Firefighters had a good day of solid, productive work around the entire fire perimeter with no challenging, problematic fire behavior. Fire managers are feeling optimistic about the increasingly secure lines along the entire western and southern sides. Crews continue to patrol the firelines and work around structures, extinguishing all hotspots and smoldering, deeply buried heat they find. The fire remains east of Foresthill Road. On the north side, crews mopped up hotspots along Deadwood Road where the night shift had conducted firing operations overnight Wednesday. All firelines are holding in that area.
The east side, once again, was the most active part of the fire. Southwest winds are contributing somewhat to the eastward progression, but the extremely dry vegetation continues to be the primary driver of fire spread. The fire has not been making long, rapid wind-driven runs nor is it expected to tomorrow. It has been advancing roughly a half mile a day, according to Fire Behavior Analyst Jonathan Pangburn. He says that while cooler, moister conditions might temporarily slow down fire activity, the fire will persistently, stubbornly work its way through the unburned vegetation between the fire scars of the King and American fires. As such, much planning, coordination, fireline construction, and defensive firing is happening all along the east side to contain the fire and halt that eastward progression as quickly as possible.
When conditions are safe enough to do so, repopulation will occur in waves with those who have property loss going in first. All people will be notified when their neighborhood can return via alerts through the Placer and El Dorado County sheriff’s offices. Be sure to sign up for those alerts on the perspective county websites.