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Mosquito Fire

Unit Information

631 Coyote Street 
Nevada City, 
95959 
631 Coyote Street 
Nevada City, 
95959 

Incident Contacts

  • Local Fire Information: 211
    Email:
    2022.mosquito@firenet.gov
    Phone:
    530-264-8309
    Hours:
    8 a.m. - 8 p.m., daily

Mosquito Fire Update (09-11-22 PM)

Mosquito Fire
Publication Type: News 09/12/2022

 Size: 46,587 acres
 Containment: 10%
 Total Personnel: 2,397
 People Evacuated: 11,260
 Structures Threatened: Approximately 5,848
 Start Date & Time: Tuesday, 9-6-2022, 6:27pm
 Cause: Under Investigation
 Location: Mosquito Road at Oxbow Reservoir
 Suppression Strategy: Full Suppression
 Unified Command Agencies: California Interagency Incident Management Team 5, CAL FIRE, Placer County Sheriff’s Office

   

 CURRENT SITUATION

As anticipated, fire activity and smoke production increased Sunday afternoon after the inversion lifted over much of the fire. However, thunderstorms remained south of US Highway 50 and did not affect the fire. Other conditions that often lead to active fire behavior, such as hot, dry, windy weather, have not been present recently nor are they expected to materialize this week. The incident’s fire behavior analyst cautions, however, that “while this is not a weather show, it is a fuels show.” All the vegetation—from fine grass to big trees—is extremely dry and burning readily. Incident Commander Rick Young went on a reconnaissance flight Sunday afternoon and confirmed that “the fire wasn’t going anywhere fast (i.e., not wind driven), but where it was burning, it was really burning.”

 

Helicopters flew water-dropping missions Sunday afternoon, providing assistance to firefighters on the ground, primarily on the western perimeter near Foresthill and the northern side near Deadwood Road where the fire was quite active along portions of the Western States Trail.

 

All around the fire’s perimeter, crews are using a combination of direct- and indirect-suppression tactics. As much as they are able, they are constructing fireline close to the fire and directly extinguishing the flames. Elsewhere, they are constructing handline and dozer line away from the fire’s edge and conducting firing operations to create a buffer and reduce the likelihood of the fire making out-of-control runs across the landscape. On the fire’s east side, for example, crews are removing trees and brush from firelines that were constructed during the American and King fires.

 

Firefighters will remain on the fireline throughout the night, protecting communities, extinguishing hotspots, patrolling, and conducting firing operations as weather conditions allow.


 

EVACUATIONS — PLACER COUNTY

View current Placer County evacuation orders and warnings on the interactive map: tinyurl.com/bdcsnj3e. ReadyPlacer dashboard for Mosquito Fire information: tinyurl.com/234azf6d

 

Evacuation Orders are in effect for the following zones in Placer County:

 

Zone 1: MICHIGAN BLUFF

  • Michigan Bluff Road
  • Gorman Ranch Road
  • Chicken Hawk Road
  • Ridge View Road
  • Deadwood Road

 

Zone 2:

  • Baker Ranch Mobile Home Park

 

Zone 3:

  • Crystal View Road
  • Bath Road

 

Zone 4: DOWNTOWN FORESTHILL

  • Foresthill Road from Idlewild Road to Bath Road Powerline Road
  • Timberland Road
  • Sluce Box Lane

 

Zone 5:

  • Black Oak Ridge Road
  • Blackhawk Lane
  • Ebbert Ranch Road
  • Old Ebberts Ranch Road

 

Zone 6:

  • Finning Mill Road to Sugar Pine Road to Elliot Ranch Road to Foresthill Road
  • Big Reservoir Road
  • Giant Gap Road
  • Hollow Log Road
  • Prospect Road
  • NF-10

 

Zone 7: TODD VALLEY

  • South of Foresthill Road
  • North of the Middle Fork of the American River
  • West of Jarvis to include Patent
  • East of McKeon-Ponderosa to the American River

 

Zone 8:

  • Sierra Vista Mobile Home Park

  

Zone 9: NORTH SIDE OF FORESTHILL ROAD

  • North of Foresthill Road
  • South of Yankee Jims Road through Spring Garden to include Owl Creek and Pine Mountain
  • Everything west of Power Line ad Hard Rock

 

Zone 10: SPRING GARDEN/WHITEHAWK RIDGE

  • North of Yankee Jims Road through Spring Garden and Ponderosa to the North Fork of the American River
  • South of the North Fork of the American River
  • South of Yankee Jims Road to Spring Garden

 

Zone 12:

  • Foresthill Road from Foresthill Bridge to Drivers Flat
  • Old Foresthill Road/Old Auburn Foresthill Road from Hwy 49 to Foresthill Road
  • All roads off Foresthill Road within this stretch

 

Zone 14:

  • Blacksmith Fit Road to French Meadows Road
  • South to the County Line
  • North to Mosquito Ridge Road

 

Zone 21:

  • South of the North Fork of the American River to Elliott Ranch Road & Foresthill Rd to Westville Road
  • Independence Hill Road
  • Bird Flat Road
  • Pioneer Mine Road
  • China Wall OHV Staging Area

 

Zone 22:

  • South of the North Fork of the American River
  • North of the Middle Fork of the Rubicon River
  • West of French Meadows Reservoir, and west of Sailors Canyon-Chipmunk Ridge

 

Evacuation Warnings are in effect for the following zones in Placer County:

 

Zone 11A - YANKEE JIMS and SHIRTTAIL CANYON

  • North of Yankee Jims Road to include Shirttail Canyon
  • South of Big Dipper through Kings Hill and through Black Bear and Grills Hill
  • West of Finning Mill Road

 

Zone 15 - FORESTHILL ROAD AT LAKE CLEMENTINE

  • Foresthill Road at Drivers Flat Road to Ponderosa Road
  • All side roads along this stretch

 

Zone 23:

  • West edge of French Meadows Reservoir east to the east edge of Hell Hole Reservoir
  • South of the North Fork of the American River to the Rubicon River


Zone: 25

  • Sawtooth Ridge to the American River

 

 

EVACUATIONS EL DORADO COUNTY

View current El Dorado County evacuation orders and warnings on the interactive map: bit.ly/3ATtqao

El Dorado County dashboard for Mosquito Fire information: edcgov.us/mosquito-fire-information

 

Evacuation Orders are in effect for the following areas in El Dorado County:

 

Area Name: Volcanoville

  • North of Wentworth Springs, east of Otter Creek, south of the county line, and west of Tunnel Hill Road

 

Area Name: Quintette

  • North of Wentworth Springs, east of Lofty Peak Lane, south of county line, and west of Blackeye Pea Road

 

Area Name: Bald Mountain

  • East of Breedlove Road (including both sides of Wentworth Springs Road) and West of Stumpy Meadows Lake

 

Area Name: Grey Eagle

  • East of Breedlove Road (including both sides of Wentworth Springs Road) and west of Stumpy Meadows Lake

 

Area Name: Canyon Creek

  • East of Greenwood Road, south of the county line, and north of Meadow Brooke Road

 

Area Name: Georgetown

 

Evacuation Warnings are in effect for the following areas in El Dorado County:

 

Area Name: Cool

 

Area Name: Garden Valley

 

Area Name: Swansboro / Slate Mountain

 

Area Name: East Stumpy Meadows

 

 

ROAD CLOSURES

View road closures in the vicinity of the Mosquito Fire on the Caltrans interactive map:  quickmap.dot.ca.gov

  

EVACUATION CENTERS

 

Placer County:

  • Sierra College, 5100 Sierra College Blvd., Rocklin, California. Enter on Rocklin Road for parking, which is in Lot B. Shelter is in cafeteria (building J).

 

El Dorado County:

  • Cameron Park Services District, 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park, California. Overnight shelter with meals, showers, limited health services, and parking for trailers. Animals in crates and carriers are allowed.
  • Green Valley Community Church, 3500 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, California. RV parking is limited and no hookups. Small domestic animals in crates or on leashes are allowed (no large animals or birds).

  

ANIMAL SHELTERS

  • Placer County Animal Services Center, 11232 B Avenue, Auburn, California
  • Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, California

  

NATIONAL FOREST CLOSURES

National Forest System lands, roads, and trails in the vicinity of the Mosquito Fire are closed under Tahoe National Forest Order No. 17-22-09 (tinyurl.com/2dfxw6v9, includes map) and Eldorado National Forest Order No. 03-22-16 (tinyurl.com/5dxz5cp6, includes map).