Smoke plume over Lake Tahoe helps out Fork Fire

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The forecast southwest winds didn't materialize Sunday, not changing the behavior of the Fork Fire as expected. The fire, burning in western El Dorado County, has consumed 1,752 acres and containment remained at seven percent. Personnel working at the fire, which started on Tuesday, number 266.

The large plume of smoke about 200 miles wide that came into the Lake Tahoe Basin Sunday afternoon also covered the area of the Fork Fire, allowing the fuel temperatures at the fire to remain low and keeping the spread contained.

The fires to the south, including the 201,908 acre Creek Fire, the 25,131 acre Slink Fire, and the 74,304 acre SNQ Complex Fire, all pumped in the smoke.

Officials working at the Fork Fire said winds will continue to develop over the next four days with Monday being the day they will be watching the most. Starting Tuesday there should be cooling with higher humidity.

The Fork Fire is one of the lower smoke producers in California at this time. Crews will continue to work on containment and putting the fire out in the hard to reach canyons.

There are still thousands of snags in the old King Fire scar, keeping conditions dangerous for firefighters. They have a chance of falling on people or falling to block the roads. From the air Sunday they could see the Deer Creek area remains a area to work one.

Two super scooper planes were able to drop five rounds of water each before the heavy smoke caused pilots to lose visibility. They are drawing the water from nearby Loon Lake.

The cause is still under investigation.