Fork Fire updates: Evacuations still in place; winds calm, but conditions very dry
The Fork Fire, a wildfire that has been burning since Tuesday afternoon in a remote part of the Eldorado National Forest, is now roughly 2,000 acres as it continues to burn uncontained.
The fire is burning near Gerle Creek and its nearby campground, about 10 miles west of Lake Tahoe and 15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines.
Evacuation orders are still in place for some small communities in El Dorado and Placer counties.
Residents in Volcanoeville, Quintet and Stumpy Meadows were ordered to evacuate Tuesday night, as the fire spotted into the Rubicon drainage. U.S. Forest Service officials on Wednesday considered it a priority to protect those communities, along with critical hydroelectric infrastructure and a high voltage line that provides power to the Sacramento region.
Evacuations remain in place in those areas Thursday morning, but new orders are not anticipated as winds have eased, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said.
Wind may pick up in the area Thursday afternoon, though.
“Air mass will remain very dry with very poor humidity recovery until Thursday afternoon when winds should begin to turn upslope,” the Forest Service wrote in a Wednesday night incident report. “Fuels are extremely dry due to prolonged heating trend.”
Eldorado National Forest officials tweeted Thursday morning the size estimate had been revised to 2,000 acres, down from 2,500, “based on National Guard drone data & firefighter observations.”
Resources are “minimal,” with only 59 personnel assigned to the Fork Fire, the Forest Service said Wednesday evening.
Smoke continues to billow from the fire, which started shortly before noon Tuesday and quickly produced a large plume. Smoke reportedly blew east Wednesday into the Tahoe area.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Fork Fire updates: Evacuations still in place; winds calm, but conditions very dry."
