PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — Find the latest updates on the Mosquito Fire HERE.
The Mosquito Fire jumped the American River Thursday, spreading into El Dorado County as it continues to burn uncontained.
The wildfire is making an explosive run through Volcanoville after jumping the river and destroying structures in its path. Many landmarks in the historic goldrush town still stand, but this massive fire continues its march through the El Dorado National Forest.
Linda Gamble, 77, has lived in Volcanoville for 20 years, and says all she do is pray for now.
“Lord, please keep us safe, don’t let us lose our homes. Don’t let any lives be lost. That’s the most important thing of all,” Gamble said.
She and her have evacuated for wildfires four times before, but those evacuations were nowhere near as abrupt. They had 10 minutes to leave their trail and threw everything they could grab into a laundry bag.
“We have no insurance. We have nothing, so if we lose it- we’ve lost everything,” Gamble said.
The fire made a 5,000-acre run into El Dorado County, jumping the middle fork of the American River and burning into Volcanoville. While structures were burnt, landmarks like the Georgetown Fire Department 62 and the Otter School survived. The fire stopped at the pavement yard away from the building.
The extreme heat and dry fuels are keeping the fire a step ahead of firefighters, but despite orders to evacuate, some residents are holding out.
“We’ll shelter in place tonight, but we will leave," Jason Dubey, owner of American River Inn. "Life and safety is priority. We will leave once we have to, but my 78-year-old mother is here and we need to stay. We are packed and ready to go.”
Thursday saw mandatory evacuations for the communities of Volcanoville, Georgetown, Bottle Hill and Todd Valley. Cool, Garden Valley and Stumpy Meadows are under evacuation warnings, but officials say residents should be ready to leave their homes if an order is given.
According to Cal Fire, the fire has burned 13,704 acres and is moving to the southeast. 3,666 structures are threatened. For now, there's no word on repopulation until threats to communities are cleared. Crowning and spotting is expected to happen throughout the night.
On Thursday, PG&E submitted documents to the California Public Utilities Commission in relation to the Mosquito Fire.
"PG&E’s information reflects that an electrical fault occurred close to the reported time of the fire, which began September 6, 2022, near Oxbow Reservoir in Placer County. Thus far, PG&E has observed no damage or abnormal conditions to the pole or its facilities near the reservoir and has not observed any downed conductor in the area or any vegetation or tree on the line," PG&E wrote in a statement.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Stay Informed
Evacuation Maps
Here is a map of evacuations from the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
A map of evacuations in El Dorado County is below.
Evacuation Centers
Placer County
- Evacuation center:
- Bell Road Baptist Church at 707 Bell Road in Auburn
- Temporary Location: Auburn Regional Park Gym at 3770 Richardson Dr in Auburn for parking (for RV/Car), bathrooms and shower access ONLY (no hookups/sleeping spaces/etc.)
- For large and small animals: Nevada County Fairgrounds on 11228 McCourtney Road, in Grass Valley. Check-in at Gate 8
- No birds/chickens due to avian flu.
El Dorado County
- Evacuation centers:
- Cool Community Church at 863 Cave Valley Rd in Cool
- Cameron Park Community Services District, 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park
- El Dorado County Animal Shelter 6435 Capitol Avenue, Diamond Springs, CA
- El Dorado Co Large Animal Shelter for evacuated homes only: Saureel Vineyards 1100 Cold Springs Road, Placerville, CA 95667
Fire Map
This map from the National Interagency Fire Center shows fire activity (this may take a few seconds to load):
Road Closures
For a map with current road closures, click here.
Wildfire Preps
According to Cal Fire, the 2021 fire season started earlier than previous years, but also ended earlier, as well. January 2021 saw just under 1,200 acres burned from nearly 300 wildfires. Fires picked up in the summer when the Dixie Fire burned in five Northern California counties — Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehama. The Dixie Fire started on July 13 and wasn't contained until Oct. 25, burning nearly 1 million acres. It has since become the second-largest wildfire in state history and the largest non-complex fire.
Overall, 2.5 million acres were burned in 2021 from 8,835 wildfires. Over 3,600 structures were destroyed and 3 people were killed.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, and supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and knowing your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
What questions do you have about the latest wildfires? If you're impacted by the wildfires, what would you like to know? Text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310.
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