Firefighters able to get Mosquito Fire containment line to 18%, 49,761 acres have burned

Fire behavior Monday night was minimal, and the night-shift firefighters took full advantage of that, getting a lot of work done in many areas around the fire perimeter.

The Mosquito Fire is currently mapped at 49,761 acres and is now 18% contained.

Some of the overnight work included dozer operators being able to construct a fireline on the fire's east side in preparation for a potential firing operation Tuesday night in the Stumpy Meadows area. On the southeast side, the fire continued to back downslope from Buckeye Peak to the American River and did not create any issues for crews mopping up hotspots there.

Fire managers made their leaders' intent very clear at Tuesday's morning crew briefing: the priority is to get people back into their homes. As such, the operational priority Tuesday is the uncontained fireline on the southwest side between Volcanoville and Foresthill. The second priority is the fire's north side where firefighters are getting as close to the fire's edge as safely as possible to minimize further northward spread. Crews and equipment continue to work in and around communities on the south side and implement the containment plan on the east side as well.

Projected incident activity today:

Next 12 hours: Atmospheric mixing continues to increase, allowing the fire to breathe. The extremely dry vegetation, stressed by the record-breaking September heat wave, will generate even more heat as it burns, which will lead to more mixing and airflow. Sunny skies will allow a smoke plume to develop as record-breaking dry large vegetation is consumed and the fire moves into remote, rugged terrain.

Next 24 hours: Potential exists for a fuels-driven fire-behavior scenario as southwest winds continue to push fire upslope and in canyons. The terrain will hamper firefighter access and suppression efforts. Vegetation, including large trees, remains volatile and will not have moisture recovery until winter or spring.

Weather:

Smoke settled under the inversion overnight with good humidity recovery and light winds. Overnight low temperatures Monday were in the mid-50s to lower 60s. Relative humidity recovery was around 60%. In the drainages, downcanyon winds were light, and on the ridges, southwest around 5 mph.

Tuesday, an incoming weak weather system will bring slightly stronger southwest winds that will bring in drier air aloft. This should help to break the inversion earlier on Tuesday. Southwest ridgetop winds will be 6–12 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. High temperatures will be in the 70s to lower 80s and relative humidity 25–30%.