Smoldering King Fire is now 98% contained

Small smoke plumes have been observed in communities as far west as Cool and Auburn as a result of the smoldering King Fire. According to Cal Fire, this is to be expected as the fire continues to burn within the interior. Smoke will settle with the cooler night air and follow canyons and drainages, and will lift and disperse as the day warms. It should be somewhat light smoke, and get progressively lighter over time until the fire runs its course or enough precipitation extinguishes it.

To date, the King Fire has burned 97,717 acres and is expected to be contained by Wednesday. 1,904 people remain on the scene, fighting the fire.

Fire crews continue to remove hazardous trees, chip brush and remove road debris to make roads safer for public travel. All forest roads within the burned area remain closed due to hazardous conditions which are expected to persist for some time.

Crews have repaired 130 miles (41 percent) of hand and dozer lines and roads used for fire suppression activities and removed excess fire equipment such as hose, pumps, and tanks.

A team of specialists continues to work on emergency stabilization measures. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands. It includes taking actions for immediate emergency stabilization before the first major storms.

There will be a community meeting on Monday night in Camino to inform residents of BAER and what can be expected in months to come. It will be held at 6 p.m. at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (3520 Carson Road).