MOKELUMNE HILL, Calif. — There was no smoke in the Calaveras County community of Mokelumne Hill Wednesday and near the town's entrance, some fire crews were getting ready to make the long drive back to Southern California. Firefighters gained the upper hand on the Maria Fire burning off Highway 26 along Jesus Maria Road.
"It was a very aggressive firefight that first night," said Cal Fire Public Information Officer Emily Kilgore. "That tends to slow down fire behavior or impact the fire behavior in a positive way-- when we can increase the humidity and the weather cooperates with us-- so that's kind of what happened overnight."
The all-hands-on-deck attack overnight reduced the once-blanketing Maria Fire smoke into a small puff of vapor by Wednesday morning. The blaze was 20% contained at 65 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
That progress meant an evacuation center initially set up in Valley Springs won't be needed. The center started to close just minutes after all evacuation orders were reduced to warnings around noon Wednesday.
“There are citizens out there, but most of the properties have land with them," said Kilgore of the rural nature of the fire's zone. "They’re not houses stacked on top of each other.”
Kilgore says that one of the hardest parts about battling the fire has been the rural and steep terrain in the area partnered with scorching temperatures, in the 100s at times.
"Everything from their equipment to their food and their water had to be taken directly to the line by foot," said Kilgore. "There were some firefighters that had minor injuries... they were what we consider at this point moderate, minor injuries."
Officials have not released the number of firefighters injured, but say some of them had to be rescued via helicopter from the frontlines.
Back in the evacuation zone, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office says it arrested a local man and woman in their 50s Tuesday night on suspicion of entering a disaster area.
While most of the active flames are now quashed, fire officials aren't letting their guard down yet and they're hoping residents won't as well.
"Still be prepared just in case conditions change," said Kilgore.
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