king 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 Fork Fire continues to burn west of Lake Tahoe in the Rubicon drainage area near Loon Lake. The size has been remapped and 1,647 acres have burned and it is seven percent contained.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has downgraded the mandatory evacuation order to an evacuation warning for the areas of Quintette, Stumpy Meadows and Volcanoville. This does not supersede the temporary closure order that prohibits entering or using National Forest System lands, roads and trails on the Eldorado National Forest.

UPDATE 10:30AM 9/9: The Fork Fire is now measured at 2,500 acres. It continues to burn in the Crystal Basin/Gerle Creek area, 15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines.

UPDATE 7:30PM: The Fork Fire in the Pacific Ranger District is 15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines. It is now 500 acres with 0 percent containment and is spreading toward the 2014 King Fire burn scar in the Rubicon drainage on the Georgetown Ranger District.

Due to extremely dry vegetation and very high fire danger, recreational target shooting is prohibited in the Eldorado National Forest until at least October 9, 2018. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, it is not prohibited but they suggest those wishing to target shoot go to one of the legal ranges in Carson City or Gardnerville for safety reasons.

If you see smoke around Amador, Georgetown and Placerville it will most likely be from 12,671 acres of National Forest land being burned this fall by the U.S. Forest Service.

USFS will begin its fall prescribed burn program in the Eldorado National Forest as soon as weather conditions are favorable. Fire managers plan to burn approximately, 12,671 acres of National Forest land this fall, winter and spring using a combination of understory and pile burning techniques.

Arsonist Wayne Allen Huntsman was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay over $60 million in victim restitution after he pleaded guilty Friday to starting the catastrophic King Fire in 2014.

Twenty years in prison was the maximum sentence Huntsman could receive for the guilty plea of three counts of Arson to Forest Land, admitted multiple enhancements for causing injury to firefighters and destruction of multiple structures.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for the King Fire area in Placer and El Dorado Counties. Doppler radar has indicated heavy rain moving into the burn area, prompting the warnings.

A warning is in place until 11 a.m. Saturday, October 17.

The severely burned areas of Rubicon River, Silver Creek and the South Fork of the American River are areas of concern due to the terrain's inability to absorb rainfall, leading to enhanced rainfall.

The South Lake Tahoe community is doing what they do best, helping out others when needed.

With the Butte Fire forcing hundreds out of their homes while destroying over a hundred of them, and burning tens of thousands of acres, people in that community are in need of assistance.

Enter into the picture Monica Nichols and dozens of other locals as they spearheaded a donation drive and are now taking them into the burn area.

Inmates from the Tahoe jail's culinary arts program won 17 awards at this summer's El Dorado County Fair, something they've done consistently for the past nine years. Since 2007, inmates have had food entries at the fair, bringing home a total of three best in shows, 51 first place awards, 47 second place awards, and 13 third place awards.

This year the inmates entered 18 items winning 17 awards. They received 10 first place and 7 second place ribbons. The ribbons are all posted down the walls at the jail's kitchen.

Closed since last fall's fire which burned over 97,000 acres near Pollock Pines, the King Fire area opens to the public on Saturday, April 25.

"I've decided to reopen the national forest lands in the King Fire area to the public beginning Saturday, April 25, in conjunction with the general opening of fishing season," said Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree. "Parts of the fire area are still hazardous, but that will continue to be true for years."

The El Dorado Chapter of the California Native Plant Society presents Before and After the Flames: Fire, Forest and Climate Change in the Sierra Nevada, a talk by Dr. Hugh D. Safford, Senior Vegetation Ecologist for the US Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region (including California, Hawaii and Pacific Islands) and Dr. Becky Estes, ecologist with the the US Forest Service, Tuesday, January 27th, 7pm at the Planning Commission Meeting Room, Building C of the County Office Buildings, 2850 Fairlane Court in Placerville. The presentation is free and open to the public.

The man accused of starting the King Fire earlier this year has been indicted on felony arson charges according to the The El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson.

Wayne Huntsman is charged with felony arson of forest land with multiple special allegations of arson with aggravating factors. He sits in the El Dorado County Jail in South Lake Tahoe with a bail set at $10,000,000.

I’ve lived in South Lake Tahoe for 22 years, and I’m the Dean of Career & Technical Education and Instruction at Lake Tahoe Community College. I'd like to share a few stories about students I’ve known through my work at LTCC, and how Measure F will provide new pathways to create many more great stories like these – stories about young people whose lives were changed because of the programs and opportunities available through our local community college.

Laurence:

This fall, while under your supervision, approximately 16% of the Eldorado National Forest burned due to the King Fire. You are entrusted to protect and maintain the health of this critical forest/watershed. Given the extreme drought and high fire risk conditions we experienced this summer, what fire restrictions, ranger alerts, precautionary measures, were in place the week of Sept 07, 2014? Arson yes, but could we have been more alert?

Highway 80 has been reopened to four lanes this evening as firefighters continue to fight the Applegate Fire which had caused three lanes to be closed since Wednesday.

It is still unknown how the fire started but it has been listed as suspicious in nature. The fire has burned 420 acres as of Thursday evening and is now 25% contained. Firefighters worked in steep and rugged terrain to get the containment line in place. There are 1,419 personnel on the scene with air tanker support from the U.S. Forest Service.

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.

9/29/14 8 p.m. update - The King Fire is now 92% contained and has remained at 97.099 acres burned. More personnel has been released and there are now 3,401 remaining on the fire.

Mop up and patrol continued. Continued the demobilization of excess resources. Continued to backhaul excess equipment and trash. Fire suppression repair is ongoing. Homes and damaged buildings on White Meadows Road are being evaluated for future damage from possible mud and debris flows caused by the last two days of rain. Some homes and buildings are being prepared with sand bags by crews.

9/29/14 update: Heavy precipitation over the weekend allowed firefighters to achieve 90 percent containment of the Cascade Fire near Snow Lake in the Desolation Wilderness. Crews will begin repairing impacts from fire suppression activities and will monitor the fire to detect any renewed activity later this week due to drier, warmer and windier conditions.

Bayview Trailhead and Campground and TaylorCreek Sno-Park on Hwy. 89 have reopened. The cause of the 20-acre fire is under investigation, but it has been determined to be human-caused.

Wayne Allen Huntsman, the accused King Fire arsonist, is sitting in the El Dorado County Jail in South Lake Tahoe awaiting his next court date on October 28, 2014.

Huntsman was arrested on September 17 on felony charges of Arson on Forest land with a Special Allegation of Arson with Aggravating Factors. He was arraigned in Superior Court in Placerville on Friday and transferred to the county jail in South Lake Tahoe. His bail was set at $10,000,000.

The skies were clear and temperatures pleasant at the 25h Annual Lake of the Sky Airshow. Last year's event was canceled due to heavy smoke from the Rim Fire, and this year's event was threatened by the King Fire. Winds kept the smoke at bay until the event was over.

The City made the event free this year and everyone seemed to enjoy that fact. There were vendors, food, music, car racing, stunt pilots and several planes to look at.

The Eldorado National Forest has issued a closure order for public safety in the area impacted by the King fire beginning September 18, 2014, until the fire is declared out. The closure order includes the Desolation Wilderness.

“Under our Unified Command System, our top priorities are fighting this fire and keeping the fire fighters and the public safe, said Crabtree. “We cannot safely fight this fire with intermingled publics. Please stay out of the closed areas until I can reopen them, which I intend to do as soon as possible.”

Here is a time lapsed video of the King Fire from the University of Nevada Seismological camera perched high above South Lake Tahoe.

The four hours of film and condensed into five minutes.