Mosquito Fire Explodes in the Sierra Foothills with 3,666 Structures Threatened
UPDATE: CalFire has announced the Mosquito Fire sits at 14,250 acres with no containment. Our initial acreage was based on the mapping from the Fire Integrated Real Time Intelligence System, which is state funded. The size is likely bigger than the 14,250 acres announced by CalFire, but it is difficult to determine a fast-moving fire like this.
Original Article: The Mosquito Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior on Thursday afternoon and evening as it grew to 25,108 acres in just over two days in Placer County. Mandatory evacuations have now moved into Todd Valley and Foresthill with 3,666 structures threatened and no containment.
Law enforcement and fire officials have spent the early morning on Friday going door-to-door in the rural regions near the fire to ensure that everyone is evacuating immediately. With another dry, hot day in the forecast, the fire could move into more populated regions. You can find the complete evacuation zone here.
“It is incredibly important all those who receive an evacuation order leave the area immediately and it is recommended that those in an evacuation warning zone leave the area as well,” said CalFire in a statement.
With dry, hot conditions fueling the wildfire, a pyrocumulus cloud ballooned to 40,000 feet high, which can be seen throughout the region. The massive smoke cloud is expected to move into Northern California and Nevada, causing smoking and unhealthy air quality.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined by investigators, but a PG&E power line faulted near the start of the fire, according to the company’s Executive Vice President Sumeet Singh. A preliminary inspection found the line still suspended from its steel pole, with no signs of contact with a tree.
Here is the full evacuation information:
Evacuation Orders
Placer County Evacuation Orders
- Zone 1 – Michigan Bluff
• Michigan Bluff Rd
• Gorman Ranch Rd
• Chicken Hawk Rd
• Ridge View Rd
• Deadwood Rd - Zone 2 – Baker Ranch
• Mobile Home Park - Zone 3 – Crystal View Rd and Bath Rd
- Zone 4 – Foresthill
• Foresthill Rd from Idlewild Rd to Bath Rd
• Powerline Rd
• Timberland Rd
• Sluce Box Ln - Zone 5
• Black Oak Ridge Rd
• Blackhawk Ln
• Ebbert Ranch Rd
• Old Ebberts Ranch Rd - Zone 6
• Finning Mill Rd to Sugar Pine Rd to Elliot Ranch Rd to Forestill Rd
• Big Reservoir Rd
• Giant Gap Rd
• Hollow Log Rd
• Prospect Rd, 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
El Dorado County Evacuation Orders
For a map of current evacuation orders and warnings in El Dorado County, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/eldoradosheriff
EVACUATON ORDERS are in effect for the following communities:
- Volcanoville: Residents who live north of Wentworth Springs, east of Otter Creek, South of the Placer County Line, and west of Tunnel Hill Road are under mandatory evacuation orders. Please evacuate the area immediately.
Evacuation Warnings
Placer County Evacuation Warnings
For a map of current evacuation orders and warnings in Placer County, please visit: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/07930e6e8f034ae4bba71e8bfedb2779/page/Sheriff-Evacuations-PCSO/
An EVACUATION WARNING is in effect for the following community:
Zone 8 – Sky View (21200 Todd Valley Road)
• Sky View 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 and Hard Rock
Zone 10 – Spring Garden / Whitehawk Ridge
• North of Spring Garden Rd. and east of Ponderosa Rd. 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 11 – 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
El Dorado County Evacuation Warnings
For a map of current evacuation warnings and orders in El Dorado County, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/eldoradosheriff
An EVACUATION WARNING is in effect for the following community:
• Quintette: Residents who live north of Wentworth Springs, east of Lofty Peak Lane, South of the Placer County Line, and west of Blackeye Pea Road need to prepare to evacuate if this warning becomes a mandatory evacuation. Please use this time to gather belongings and prepare. There will be deputies in the area going door to door to notify residents. Be prepared to evacuate if this warning becomes mandatory.
Evacuation Centers
Placer County
Bell Road Baptist Church: 77 Bell Road, Auburn, CA 95603
El Dorado County (Temporary Evacuation Point)
Cool Community Church at 863 Cave Valley Rd, Cool, CA 95614
Road Closures
Placer and El Dorado Road Closure Infomrmation https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
Animal Evacuation Centers
Placer County
- Placer County Animal Services Center: 11232 B Avenue, Auburn, CA 95603
- Nevada County Fairgrounds: 11228 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949
