Fire in Placerville
El Dorado authorities have started lifting some of the evacuations that were imposed due to the fire affecting the county, which caused significant damage to the Placerville airport hangars. The fire, named the "Pay Fire," started on Saturday near the airport located on Paydirt Drive, according to the El Dorado County Fire Protection District. By Sunday, firefighters had managed to halt the spread of the flames, a promising sign that the fire is no longer expanding.
Cal Fire, the agency responsible for managing the fire, reported that as of Sunday night, the fire had burned 77 acres. This number remained unchanged from Saturday night. Containment of the fire had reached 25% by Monday, a significant improvement compared to the 5% reported the previous day. Containment is measured in percentages to describe the barriers or lines established around the fire to prevent its further spread.
The El Dorado County Sheriff has indicated that the area around the Placerville airport remains under an evacuation warning. Although it is not mandatory to leave the area under this warning, residents are advised to consider evacuating if fire conditions become more dangerous. Additionally, the sheriff’s office has closed a nighttime shelter that had been set up for residents displaced by the fire.
The fire has caused considerable damage to some of the airport hangars, leading to the suspension of air operations. The affected area is located on a steep hillside, characterized by a high density of trees and scattered homes. While Cal Fire has not yet provided an exact number of homes or structures damaged, Cal Fire spokesperson Chris Vestal has noted that the narrow, windy roads in this rural mountainous area present a significant challenge in fighting the fire. These conditions hinder the mobility of firefighting teams, who often face bottlenecks where residents attempt to evacuate, and emergency vehicles have difficulty accessing affected areas.
Due to the fire, road closures have been implemented at several key locations:
- Broadway and Airport Road
- Cedar Ravine Road and County Club Drive
- Cedar Ravine Road and Paydirt Drive
- Big Barn Road and Newtown Road
These closures are designed to ensure the safety of residents and facilitate the operations of emergency teams.
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