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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 (09-12-22 PM)

Mosquito Fire
Publication Type: News 09/13/2022

 Size: 48,700 acres
 Containment: 16%
 Total Personnel: 2,675
 People Evacuated: 11,260
 Structures Threatened: Approximately 5,848
 Single Residences Destroyed: 25
 Minor Structures Destroyed: 21
 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

Firefighters continue to make progress building and strengthening control lines around the Mosquito Fire. Crews took advantage of cooler temperatures, higher humidity and the inversion layer staying in place for a majority of the day by mopping up and securing their lines while fire activity was moderated. Along the Foresthill Road corridor from Foresthill to Michigan Bluff and north beyond Chicken Hawk Road, crews worked to strengthen control lines through extensive mopping up of hot spots, fire weakened trees, and smoldering vegetation well into the fire’s perimeter. These actions are crucial to ensuring that the fire will not cross over control lines and will ultimately add containment once firefighters determine there is no threat of escape.

Due to the extremely low fuel moisture in the vegetation, fire activity remained active along the eastern front of the fire despite the inversion layer today. Although the area to the east of the fire includes the American and King Fires’ burn scars, there remains a large area of dense unburned forest in between the two which would be very receptive to fire activity. Crews worked in the area to the east of the fire to build indirect control lines with heavy equipment while also utilizing existing roads when possible. Firefighters continue to look for all possibilities to construct control lines as close to the fire’s edge as terrain and firefighter safety allow.

Containment lines on the southern perimeter of the fire along Volcanoville Road continue to hold and firefighters are strengthening remaining control lines in that area to increase containment. One of today’s top priorities was completing strategic firing operations to assist in locking in the southwest corner of the fire near Buckeye Point. Crews successfully completed their firing operations and have now tied fire into both sides of the Middle Fork of the American River. Firefighters will monitor and strengthen these control lines in order to hold the southwest corner.

The use of aircraft was limited today due to the continued inversion layer over the fire area. Several helicopters were used for water-dropping operations in the late afternoon hours. A CAL FIRE HAWK helicopter continues to be available and utilized for nighttime water-dropping missions. The tropical moisture that has been in the area is forecasted to exit the region in the next day with slightly increased southwest winds. These winds are also forecasted to push the inversion layer out of the fire area earlier in the day tomorrow which will allow for more aircraft use, but could also increase fire activity.

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

Zone 2: Baker Ranch Mobile Home Park

Zone 3

Zone 4: Downtown Foresthill

Zone 5

Zone 6

Zone 7: Todd Valley

Zone 8: Sierra Vista Mobile Home Park

Zone 9: North Side of Foresthill Road

Zone 10: Spring Garden/Whitehawk Ridge

Zone 12

Zone 14

Zone 21

Zone 22

 

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

Zone 11A: Yankee Jims and Shirttail Canyon

Zone 15: Foresthill Road at Lake Clementine

Zone 23

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

Area Name: Quintette

Area Name: Bald Mountain

Area Name: Grey Eagle

Area Name: Canyon Creek

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).

 

STRUCTURE STATUS

A Damage Inspection Specialist (DINS) Team has started assessments in both El Dorado and Placer Counties. These assessments will be ongoing and will be updated as completed.

 

Placer County: Please call Placer County OES at 530-886-5390

 

El Dorado County: Please visit: https://tinyurl.com/4pkujys9