PLACERVILLE, Calif. — The Caldor fire east of Sacramento that has already forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents grew by more than 6,500 acres overnight as firefighters prepared for another difficult day battling the blaze amid persistent hot and dry conditions.
The fire, which has been raging in El Dorado County for a week, has destroyed 245 structures, including 81 more overnight. As of Saturday morning, the fire covered 82,444 acres and was zero percent contained.
Fire officials said Saturday morning that high winds and the weakening of an inversion layer that had created some moisture could lead to further growth of the fire and dangerous conditions for firefighters.
Saturday’s weather patterns could allow more heating of vegetation, resulting in more unstable air that could help the fire generate a large plume of ash and smoke, officials said.
Winds were expected to pick up before noon, although gusts of 25 mph had already been recorded by 7 a.m., said Capt. Thomas Shoots, a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“We know that wind component’s out there, we know the potential for large fire spread is ramping up quickly this morning and we’re going to continue to see that potential grow throughout the day,” he said.
Authorities shut down a portion of Highway 50 and issued new evacuation orders Friday evening in anticipation of the weather. Nearly 30,000 people have been evacuated.
Crews have been focused on preparing homes in the fire’s path and making sure everyone is out of harm’s way, which can take away from time spent building containment lines, Shoots said. Those actions have taken on new urgency given the anticipated winds.
“We’re doing everything we can to ride this out today,” he said.
The winds were expected to push the fire to the north and east, toward areas that haven’t burned in 100 years, said Dana Walsh, public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service.
“Most of that area does not have a recent fire history,” she said of the east side.
Authorities dealing with multiple large fires are having to decide where to direct personnel and supplies. The battle continued against the Dixie fire, which had grown to 714,219 acres as of Saturday morning and is the state’s second largest wildfire on record. The fire, which is spreading in Butte and four other Northern California counties, has been active for more than a month. The fire is now 35% contained.
Firefighters battling the blaze there are expecting advantageous weather conditions Saturday. While winds could reach 35 mph or higher during the day, a shift in direction could drive the fire into itself, which would help keep it from spreading, said Doug Ulibarri, a spokesman for the CalFire incident response team.
“We’re looking good right now, but obviously Mother Nature is Mother Nature and she’s going to push where she wants to push,” Ulibarri said.
On Friday, crews lifted an evacuation order for the Plumas County community of Chester, allowing 3,600 people back into the town. Saturday morning, the Seneca Healthcare District Hospital in Chester reopened as well.
