El Dorado County Public Safety Digest

The Placer County Big Trees Grove, located in Tahoe National Forest, was considered at risk when the Mosquito Fire began. Forest officials shared video of measures taken to protect the grove before and during the fire.

U.S. Forest Service investigators looking into the cause of the Mosquito Fire have taken possession of PG&E equipment, according to the utility’s filing to the California PUC, based on “an initial assessment that ... the USFS is performing a criminal investigation into the 2022 Mosquito Fire.”

El Dorado County will contribute $204,000 toward the purchase of a rescue boat for the El Dorado Hills Fire Department. “The boat will be a 23-foot, open-bow lake rescue boat with firefighting capability,” EDH Fire Chief Maurice Johnson said.

California has temporarily banned insurance companies from dropping customers in areas affected by recent wildfires, a day after evacuation orders were lifted for residents near the Mosquito Fire.

El Dorado County supervisors voted to implement a temporary homeless shelter/navigation center at the former juvenile detention facility in Placerville, which includes ending an agreement between the county and Cal Fire for use of the building in seasonal operations.

Firefighters reported 49 percent containment of the Mosquito Fire as of Sept. 21. The fire, burning in both El Dorado and Placer counties, has consumed 76,290 acres with no growth overnight. Cal Fire officials said fire behavior overnight was minimal, due to three consecutive days of precipitation.

The Dutch Fire off Interstate 80 near Dutch Flat is at 48 acres with 95 percent containment, according to Cal Fire.The fire activity diminished greatly by 5 p.m. Tuesday and all evacuation orders and the Interstate 80 closure were lifted. The cause is unknown.

The Mosquito Fire jumped back over the Middle Fork of the American River on Sept. 13, heading toward the Placer County towns of Todd Valley and Foresthill after gusty winds led spot fires to jump containment lines.

A new fire broke out Sept. 13 near the Placer County town of Dutch Flat, prompting evacuations and shutting down a 27-mile stretch of Interstate 80. Cal Fire reported the Dutch Fire at 30 acres and 30% contained as of 7 p.m.

On the morning of Sept. 13, firefighters were getting an edge on the Mosquito Fire, when the 49,761-acre forest fire was reported 18% contained. Damage assessment teams have identified 25 homes and 21 “minor” structures destroyed.

PG&E Corp. said Sept. 8 that fire investigators “placed caution tape” around a transmission pole near where the Mosquito Fire started. The utility said it hadn’t observed “damage or abnormal conditions” but filed a report with the PUC “out of an abundance of caution.”

The fire doubled in size Sept. 8, jumped the American River into El Dorado County and by the afternoon was moving in two directions, toward Foresthill and Volcanoville. Evacuations and road closures remain in place.

Speeding, reckless driving, and highway violence have all increased in Tahoe/Truckee in recent years, as more people move to the area and drivers increase their speeds.

Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Mike Blankenheim told attendees at a community briefing on Sept. 8 that some structures in Volcanoville were lost. “I don’t have a good handle on it yet but it’s definitely not the whole community by any stretch,” he said.

Georgetown, Volcanoville and Bottle Hill were ordered to immediately evacuate Sept. 8 as the Mosquito Fire jumped the Middle Fork of the American River into El Dorado County while continuing to burn near the Placer County community of Foresthill.

On Sept. 6, the same day the Mosquito Fire began burning in in neighboring Placer County, firefighters battled a blaze in Grizzly Flat caused by a flare-up from a tree still smoldering after last year’s Caldor Fire.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council approved a pilot traffic calming project in the Lakeview (Al Tahoe) and Highland Woods neighborhoods, where residents have complained about visitors cutting throughs, speeding and illegally parking.

The Caldor Fire survivors of Grizzly Flat were reunited at Pioneer Park for an event hosted by the El Dorado West Slope Foundation, marking the day the blaze first sparked: Aug. 14, 2021.

Just as forests have plants at different levels—canopy, understory and forest floor—they also have potential wildfire fuels at those levels. When these fuels come into contact, fires can climb to the tops of trees, creating potential for destructive crowning.

Toxic algae has been discovered in a creek on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore at strong enough levels in General Creek to trigger posted warning signs. Those enjoying the outdoors with pets should stay away from algae mats in the water.

The El Dorado County Grand Jury examined the county’s wildfire resiliency, specifically weighing in on County Ordinance 5101—the vegetation management ordinance. The Grand Jury found the Vegetation Management Office “lacked expertise and adequate resources to meet the objectives of the ordinance.”

After holding nearly all the positions at South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue over the past 20-plus years, Jim Drennan has been appointed fire chief. He will be sworn in Aug. 9.

Lake Tahoe Community College and local artist Shelley Zentner are partnering to host a one-year anniversary recognition of the Caldor Fire in the college’s Haldan Art Gallery. on Aug. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the library building.

The California Highway Patrol is marking the two-decade anniversary of the Amber Alert system. Hundreds of abducted children have been found and returned safely to their families following its implementation in 2002.

Dr. Ronald Li, a veterinarian at UC Davis, treated 23 cats rescued from the Tubbs fire in 2017. In addition to the expected traumatic injuries, something else caught Li’s attention. “We noticed clots forming within their hearts,” he said. “But at that time, we didn’t know why.”

A new alert system is being rolled out for residents via the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, with messages sent to the community via phone, text, email, social media, and an app. The emergency alert system will be used for evacuation warnings and other urgent matters. To receive the alerts, sign up through the Office of Emergency Services.

Local agencies throughout the Tahoe region have banded together to educate residents on the importance of forest thinning and controlled fires. A recent press tour demonstrated that new state funding has allowed near completion of the thinning and burning efforts.

The Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District Board of Directors will vote on July 12 to permanently retire one ambulance. The fire station housing it, Station 49, does not have the staff to keep it running.

A project designed to increase fire resiliency will further its goals thanks to a $3.3 million grant from Cal Fire. The El Dorado County Fire Safe Council will use the funds to reduce fire risk along roads and remove fire-prone trees.

Senate Bill 1012, a law that will require California State Parks to restrict open fires, has been unanimously passed through the Committee of Water, Parks, and Wildlife. The bill instructs parks to work with the guidelines of local fire departments. The bill could appear before the full assembly in August.

Following unanimous approval of the 2022 Capital Improvement Program, Ponderosa Road is going to get an upgrade for pedestrian safety. Sidewalks will be installed near the high school, with work starting as soon as 2023. The Board of Supervisors praised the project and offered matching funds to further it along.

Pacific Gas & Electric pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with the Zogg Fire, which killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Northern California two years ago. A preliminary hearing was set for January.