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State of Emergency Declared in Calif. Due to Wildfires

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Placer and El Dorado counties due to the Mosquito Fire and in Riverside County due to the Fairview Fire. Both wildfires are threatening multiple communities.

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(TNS) - The fire burning in Placer County jumped into El Dorado County on Thursday, where it burned homes but officials could not estimate how many. The homes are in Volcanoville, an unincorporated community that was founded as a trading post in 1851 and had been rebuilt following two fires that destroyed the town in 1879 and 1907.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Placer and El Dorado counties due to the Mosquito Fire and in Riverside County due to the Fairview Fire on Thursday afternoon. Both wildfires are threatening multiple communities and have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents. The declaration frees up state resources to help residents affected by the fire and to help firefighters battle the fires.


Southern California Edison considering power shutoffs in six SoCal counties due to fire risk

Southern California Edison may shut off power for some of its customers to prevent wildfire risk, according to a 3:55 p.m. statement from the utility company. These outages, called Public Safety Power Shutoffs, are under consideration in Kern County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County and Ventura County.

Latest on Mosquito Fire evacuations in El Dorado County

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders for multiple communities, including Volcanoville, Georgetown and Bottle Hill as a result of the fast-moving Mosquito Fire. A full list of the latest evacuation orders is available here.

Ash could start falling on Tahoe from Mosquito Fire's pyrocumulus cloud

Ash fall is likely to begin in Tahoe starting Thursday as the explosive growth from the fire's pyrocumulous cloud sends shards of debris into the air, which later drift back down.

Mosquito Fire closes portion of Pacific Crest Trail

The Mosquito Fire closed a 1.1 mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail ,"south of Granite Chief on the American River Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest," according to trail officials. The trail, between mile markers 1139.3 and mile 1140.4, was closed until further notice.

Mosquito Fire jumps the Middle Fork of the American River

The Mosquito Fire has jumped the Middle Fork of the American River as it burns on the El Dorado County side of the river towards Volcanoville, according to a 3:50 p.m. update from the Foresthill Fire Protection District.

There is a mandatory evacuation order for Todd Valley and roads off of Foresthill Road to Drivers Flat Road, according to the Foresthill Fire Protection District. This order has been expanded from a previous post that ordered evacuations from Foresthill Road to Ponderosa Road, the latest update said.

There is also a mandatory evacuation order for areas east of Breedlove Road, including both sides of Wentworth Springs Road and west of Stumpy Meadows Lake, per a 3 p.m. update from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office. Those in the area should evacuate using westbound Wentworth Springs towards Georgetown. A temporary evacuation point can be found at Cool Community Church, the update said.

There is an evacuation warning in the Georgetown area, east of Greenwood Road, south of the county line and north of Meadow Brooke Road, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said in the update.

Evacuation orders are still in place for Forest Hill proper and the top valley area, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said in a 2 p.m. update.

Pyrocumulus cloud above Mosquito Fire creating its own weather

The pyrocumulus cloud created by the Mosquito Fire has become so well-developed that it has quickly grown to have the characteristics of a rotating thunderstorm. In the Great Plains of the U.S., these storms are called "supercells" and can quickly spin up the risk of tornadoes.

Radar imagery is picking up on the cloud's velocity and cloud top. It has now grown to 38,000 feet and it has rotation that is helping to waft embers around its perimeter. It can also support "fire whirls" which are often referred to as "fire tornadoes."

The cloud is creating its own local weather. As it rotates, it creates a pocket of winds gusting up to 26 mph. Rapid growth will continue Thursday.

Mosquito Fire evacuation orders expand as fire spreads into El Dorado County

There is a mandatory evacuation order for areas east of Breedlove Road, including both sides of Wentworth Springs Road and west of Stumpy Meadows Lake, per a 3 p.m. update from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

Those in the area should evacuate using westbound Wentworth Springs towards Georgetown. A temporary evacuation point can be found at Cool Community Church, the update said.

There is an evacuation warning in the Georgetown area, east of Greenwood Road, south of the county line and north of Meadow Brooke Road, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said.

Evacuation orders are still in place for Forest Hill proper and the top valley area, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said in an afternoon update.

Placer County declares local emergency over Mosquito Fire

Placer County officials declared a local emergency due to the impending threat posed by the Mosquito Fire. According to the declaration, while the total damage caused by the fire was yet unknown, it was expected to be "significant."

Mosquito Fire spreads into a second county

The Mosquito Fire that originated in Placer County has now spread into El Dorado County and is moving toward Volcanoville, an unincorporated Gold Rush town, according to an update from Cal Fire.

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