Crozier Fire Updates: Evacuations ordered for El Dorado County wildfire

DORADO COUNTY RIGHT NOW. YEAH. SHIFTING OUR FOCUS NOW TO THE OTHER ONE. IT’S CALLED THE CROSIER FIRE. THIS ONE IS BURNING IN A REMOTE AREA. THIS IS NORTH OF PLACERVILLE AND HIGHWAY 50. THERE IT IS ON THE MAP. SO THIS ONE IS THREATENING SOME HOMES IN THE RURAL MOSQUITO AND SWANSBORO AREA. LET’S GO TO KCRA 3’S. LEE ANNE DENYER LIVE THERE AT THE SWANSBORO COUNTY AIRPORT AGAIN. THIS IS EL DORADO COUNTY AND WE CAN SEE THAT BIG PLUME RIGHT THERE BEHIND YOU. LEANNE. YEAH. AND THAT WE’VE BEEN WATCHING THAT PLUME ALL DAY. I WANT TO SHOW YOU A CLOSER LOOK. YOU CAN SEE IT’S BILLOWING IN A WAY. AS WE CAN SEE, THESE DIFFERENT COLORS OF SMOKE IN THE AIR FROM THE AIRPORT. AND WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING AIRCRAFT JUST HIT THESE FLAMES ALL DAY TODAY, ALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HERE’S A LOOK FROM A DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINT. STILL STANDING HERE AT THE AIRPORT, LOOKING FORWARD AT THOSE TREES, YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE FLAMES ARE OFF IN THE DISTANCE. WE ALSO SAW MULTIPLE RETARDANT DROPS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. CAL FIRE DOES TELL US THAT THEY ARE REALLY WORKING IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND TO TRY TO BUILD SOME STRONG CONTAINMENT LINES, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE FOR THEM. THE FIRE STARTED OVERNIGHT IN THIS RURAL AREA HERE. FIRE BURNING BELOW MOSQUITO ROAD, WHERE THE TERRAIN IS REALLY RUGGED AND DIFFICULT TO ACCESS BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE OF THE FIRE EVACUATION ORDERS AND WARNINGS ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE. ANYBODY WHO’S IN THAT EVACUATION AREA AND THE WARNING AREA NEEDS TO BE READY TO GO. THIS FIRE DOES HAVE POTENTIAL TO GROW AND IF IT GROWS, IT COULD GROW VERY FAST, WHICH WILL NOT GIVE YOU MUCH TIME TO GET OUT. AND WITH THE COUNTY ROADS BACK THERE, THE WINDY, STEEP TERRAIN, UH, IT’S DIFFICULT TO GET IN AND OUT OF THERE AS I’M SURE THE RESIDENTS KNOW. SO THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE’VE BEEN WATCHING ALL DAY. THERE IS THIS SMALL POND JUST JUST NEXT TO THE AIRPORT. YOU CAN SEE THE HELICOPTER COMING DOWN, FILLING UP THE BASKET WITH WATER, AND IT’S GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE OFF. WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD A SECOND HELICOPTER. JUST COME, COME JOIN THE BLUE ONE. YOU CAN SEE THERE’S A RED ONE OFF IN THE DISTANCE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE’VE BEEN WATCHING THEM DO ALL DAY TO DAY. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY AIRCRAFT UP IN THE AIR AND LIKE I MENTIONED, THEY ARE WORKING ON THIS FIRE FROM THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND AND AT THE LAST CHECK, CAL FIRE DID TELL US. 245 ACRES HAD BURNED AND THAT THIS FIRE IS 5% CONTAINED, BUT STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO OUT HERE FOR THESE FIRE CREWS. WE’LL SEND IT ON BACK TO YOU. YEAH. AND GREAT TO SEE THAT WORK GOING ON THERE. RIGHT BEHIND YOU. THEY’VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. JUST, UH, BY EVIDENCE OF THE BIG PLUME THERE. RIGHT BEHIND LEANNE. SO WE’LL BE ON THIS STORY OBVIOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND WE HAVE LIVECOPTER3 OVER THE CROSIER FIRE RIGHT NOW. AND EARLIER TODAY, IT APPEARED FIREFIGHTERS WERE STARTING TO GET THE UPPER HAND ON THIS FIRE. BUT THEN THE FIRE JUMPED INTO SOME THICK BRUSH AND TREES. AND THEN THEN IT STARTED TO PICK UP MOMENTUM. THE FIRE IS NOW BURNING HOT AND FAST THROUGH SOME THICK TIMBER. SO ON THE LEFT YOU CAN SEE THAT WAS WHERE THE FIRE HAD STARTED. BUT HERE IS WHERE IT KIND OF JUMPED. THOSE CONTAINMENT LINES. YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN YOU GET INTO THE TREES, THOSE THOSE TALLER TREES AND THAT’S THE LADDER FUELS WHERE THE STUFF BURNS AT THE TOP, AND THEN THE EMBERS CAN BE CARRIED. IF THERE IS ANY BREEZE IN THE AREA. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SMOKE IS WAFTING JUST A LITTLE BIT OFF TO, UH, WELL, LET’S GO TO HEATHER RIGHT NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE BREEZE MOVING KIND OF OUT, KIND OF EASTWARD THERE. OR HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THAT? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU’RE LOOKING. RIGHT. SO IN GENERAL, WINDS ARE GOING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. THIS IS THE CROSIER FIRE APPROXIMATELY WHERE IT STARTED. THIS IS THE SILVER FIRE. BUT OF THE TWO FIRES, THE CROSIER FIRE WAS CERTAINLY THE TOUGHER FIRE FOR CREWS TO DEAL WITH. JUST RIGHT FROM THE GET GO. BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN AND BECAUSE OF THE TYPES OF FUELS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, A LOT MORE TREES, A LOT MORE BRUSH FOR THIS FIRE TO GOBBLE UP. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’VE SEEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. SO THESE ARE THE GENERAL WIND ARROWS. AGAIN, MOVING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. BUT PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIRECTION THAT THE GEOGRAPHY IS IS PLAYING INTO HERE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT DURING THE DAY, WINDS MOVE UP CANYON. SO THROUGH THESE VERY SMALL AREAS, WINDS MAY INDEED BE GOING THIS WAY. SO THAT’S WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR. THE FIRE GETTING PUSHED ACTUALLY ALONG THE CANYON. UNCLEAR RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS WHERE THE FIRE MAY HAVE HOPPED JUST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE THAT WE’VE GOTTEN. BUT AGAIN, THOSE UP CANYON WINDS PLAYING THE BIGGEST ROLE TODAY, THOSE WINDS WILL SHIFT AROUND LATER ON. THIS EVENING. BUT YOU CAN SEE THE BREEZE HERE AT 5000FT OR SO CARRYING THE SMOKE PLUME OFF TO THE NORTH AND EAST. WE’RE GOING TO BE KEEPING AN EYE ON AIR QUALITY AS WE GO THROUGH THIS EVENING. THINGS OKAY RIGHT NOW? UP THROUGH TAHOE, BUT THAT MAY

Crozier Fire Updates: Evacuations ordered for El Dorado County wildfire

Updated: 9:36 PM PDT Aug 7, 2024

A wildfire that sparked early Wednesday morning in El Dorado County has forced some evacuations.The Crozier Fire started around 1:21 a.m. on Aug. 7 near Slate Mountain, northeast of Placerville, Cal Fire said. Crozier Fire evacuations and shelter informationEvacuation orders are in place for the areas of Garden Valley, Georgetown, Volcanoville, Mosquito and Quintet, Cal Fire said. Those under the order to leave immediately are told to leave only by taking Rock Creek Road.Cal Fire said evacuation warnings are also in place for areas surrounding the fire. You are not required to evacuate under warnings but are recommended to do so in case conditions become dangerous.View evacuations below. Can’t see the map? Click here.The Placerville Library at 345 Fairline is available as a shelter. Animals can be taken to the El Dorado County Shelter on 6435 Capitol Avenue in Diamond Springs. If nobody answers the door, you can call 530-621-5795.AlertCalifornia cameras show a large plume of smoke in the area. The photo below was captured at 6:16 a.m.Crozier Fire acreage, containment and weather conditionsAs of 9:25 p.m., Cal Fire said the Crozier Fire has burned at least 571 acres, up from 392 acres at 7:10 p.m. Crews also have 5% containment around the fire. Containment isn’t used to measure how much of the fire is put out. It’s instead used to measure how much of a perimeter firefighters have established around the burn area to help prevent the continuing spread of flames.(Video below: A view of the Crozier Fire from the ground and by air.)Our KCRA 3 weather team said Wednesday afternoon would be concerning for fire conditions once relative humidity drops and winds pick up. Silver Fire close to the Crozier FireThe Crozier Fire is burning at least 11 miles away from another wildfire that sparked Wednesday afternoon. The Silver Fire is near the community of Rescue and has also led to evacuations. Those have since been lifted, and forward progress was stopped on that fire.| Air Quality Concerns | Where smoke from the Crozier Fire is headed| MORE |A 2024 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in CaliforniaHere are key websites that are important for all Californians during wildfire season.Cal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. —

A wildfire that sparked early Wednesday morning in El Dorado County has forced some evacuations.

The Crozier Fire started around 1:21 a.m. on Aug. 7 near Slate Mountain, northeast of Placerville, Cal Fire said.

Crozier Fire evacuations and shelter information

Evacuation orders are in place for the areas of Garden Valley, Georgetown, Volcanoville, Mosquito and Quintet, Cal Fire said. Those under the order to leave immediately are told to leave only by taking Rock Creek Road.

Cal Fire said evacuation warnings are also in place for areas surrounding the fire. You are not required to evacuate under warnings but are recommended to do so in case conditions become dangerous.

View evacuations below. Can’t see the map? Click here.

The Placerville Library at 345 Fairline is available as a shelter.

Animals can be taken to the El Dorado County Shelter on 6435 Capitol Avenue in Diamond Springs. If nobody answers the door, you can call 530-621-5795.

AlertCalifornia cameras show a large plume of smoke in the area. The photo below was captured at 6:16 a.m.

Crozier Fire acreage, containment and weather conditions

As of 9:25 p.m., Cal Fire said the Crozier Fire has burned at least 571 acres, up from 392 acres at 7:10 p.m.

Crews also have 5% containment around the fire. Containment isn’t used to measure how much of the fire is put out. It’s instead used to measure how much of a perimeter firefighters have established around the burn area to help prevent the continuing spread of flames.

(Video below: A view of the Crozier Fire from the ground and by air.)

Our KCRA 3 weather team said Wednesday afternoon would be concerning for fire conditions once relative humidity drops and winds pick up.

Silver Fire close to the Crozier Fire

The Crozier Fire is burning at least 11 miles away from another wildfire that sparked Wednesday afternoon. The Silver Fire is near the community of Rescue and has also led to evacuations. Those have since been lifted, and forward progress was stopped on that fire.

| Air Quality Concerns | Where smoke from the Crozier Fire is headed

| MORE |A 2024 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California

Here are key websites that are important for all Californians during wildfire season.