Updated at 8:23 p.m
The Mosquito Fire exploded in size last week, in part because of California’s record heat wave, which brought temperatures above 100 degrees to much of the Sacramento Valley and Tahoe Basin. With cooler temperatures forecast this week, fire officials hope to gain better control of the fire.
Cal Fire officials announced Monday night that the fire is 16% contained, up 6% from Monday morning’s report.
Since it started on Sept. 6, the Mosquito Fire has burned 48,700 acres — roughly 75 square miles — of diverse landscapes and around several historic Gold Rush communities in Placer and El Dorado counties. Law enforcement officials in both counties announced Monday that building inspections are underway, though they have not yet confirmed the extent of the damage.
The area of the fire remained unchanged Sunday night into Monday morning, in part because of heavy smoke and clouds, which hampered crews’ ability to fly an aircraft with infrared camera mapping technology.
Here’s what officials say the fight to control the mosquito fire will look like this week.
Mosquito fire weather conditions this week
Temperatures around the fire are expected to be mild Monday and Tuesday, and winds are expected to shift to the southwest, Cal Fire Incident meteorologist Ryan Walbrun said in a video release.
“For Monday, we’re going to see southwesterly winds, not strong at all, but what it’s going to do is push a lot of that smoke toward the Tahoe Basin, unfortunately,” Walbrun said.
He said the change will likely bode well for communities like Foresthill, Volcanoville and Quintette, as winds will push the fire back on itself.
Those conditions are expected to last until a new weather system descends on the Foresthill area on Wednesday, Walbrun said, bringing with it temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s.
“By mid-September standards, we’re in pretty good shape – [we’re] I’m not worried about strong easterly or offshore winds at this time, and again temperatures will remain cooler than normal with higher than normal humidity,” Walbrun said. “So from a fire weather perspective, these conditions look pretty good.”
A Cal Fire report released Monday says that while cooler temperatures are beneficial, extremely dry vegetation in the area is also fueling its spread.
“Despite cooler temperatures, historically dry fuel moisture in vegetation continues to fuel fire growth,” the report said.
The terrain in the area where the Mosquito Fire started is steep and rocky, which also has an impact on crews’ ability to control the fire, Cal Fire’s Chris Vestal told CapRadio on Monday.
“These deep canyons are not just difficult for personnel to work in – or even our heavy machinery – but they can really fuel the fire as well,” he said. “This fire is going uphill. And those winds that we’ve got that are mainly coming from the south and southwest, you know, line up and push that fire eastward.”
Smoke affecting Northern California
On Monday, parts of the eastern Sacramento Valley, the Lake Tahoe Basin and Reno were among the hardest hit by smoke from the Mosquito Fire. Air quality readings in these areas have fluctuated between unhealthy and dangerous.
Wildfire smoke continues to affect the Lake Tahoe Basin this morning, September 12, 2022. Visit https://t.co/1qQAI5BJDz for the latest air quality information and tips on how to mitigate smoke impacts. #Mosquito fire pic.twitter.com/ZCgMTQRlhJ
— Lake Tahoe USFS (@LakeTahoeUSFS) September 12, 2022
Scott McGuire, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Reno, says the recommendation for people living in affected areas is to stay indoors as much as possible.
“We have a kind of general rule,” he said. “You go outside and you can smell it, it’s going to affect, you know, your body.”
Parts of Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area tend to be downwind of where the fire is happening. But McGuire says the cooler temperatures and changing wind could help fight the fire and move the smoke elsewhere.
Increased overland flow will tend to move fire smoke from the Mosquito Fire more to the east and north of the fire. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/CAEHcSQr5J
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) September 12, 2022
What we know about mosquito fire
The Mosquito Fire started nearly a week ago on Sept. 6, near OxBow Reservoir in Placer County.
By September 8, the fire had eclipsed 14,000 acres and spread into El Dorado County after jumping between the American Fork of the River. Evacuation orders have been issued in both counties, and Cal Fire estimates more than 11,000 people have been temporarily displaced.
Officials are updating the evacuation map for Placer County and El Dorado County. There is also an information page from El Dorado County and additional resources to track the fire.
El Dorado County officials have also created a damage assessment map to help people who have had to evacuate to determine the status of their property. Officials with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced that damage assessments have begun at a meeting on Monday night.
So far I am #Mosquito fire continues to hold 46,587 acres across Placer and El Dorado Co, remaining in 10% control. 11,260 people have been evacuated due to the fire – over 5,900 from Placer County alone. Approximately 5,848 homes in the two counties remain threatened. pic.twitter.com/zSg7n8EMuU
— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) September 12, 2022
The fire also produced a massive plume of smoke, causing pyrocumulus clouds to form and poor air quality across much of the Tahoe Basin and eastern Sacramento Valley.
CapRadio provides a reliable source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you support the journalism that allows us to uncover stories that matter to our audiences. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
