Caldor Fire at 68,630 acres with no containment

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Caldor Fire is now measured at 68,630 acres and has no containment line at this time. More firefighters were added today an now 1,118 personnel are assigned to the fire that started about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Early in the day Thursday, fire activity subsided due to the strong inversion layer, but it became active after 3:00 p.m. The fire continues to make runs in the steep drainages with the aid of large amounts of dead and down material with drought-stressed fuels. Live fuels are cured to levels usually seen in late September, and the moisture in them is historically low. These types of fuels are very receptive to spotting fires.

According to the nightly recap of the fire, 104 structures have been destroyed and 6,905 are still threatened. Due to ongoing damage assessment of the area, the numbers of destroyed and damaged structures are subject to change.

Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire
suppression missions as conditions allow. At this time, 109 engines, 11 water tenders, 13 helicopters, 21 hand crews and 21 dozers are working on the fire.