Cal Fire

(PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA) Sept 12, 2022 — 7:50 PM

Situation Summary

Firefighters continue to make progress building and strengthening control lines around the Mosquito Fire. Crews took advantage of cooler temperatures, higher humidity and the inversion layer staying in place for a majority of the day by mopping up and securing their lines while fire activity was moderated. Along the Foresthill Road corridor from Foresthill to Michigan Bluff and north beyond Chicken Hawk Road, crews worked to strengthen control lines through extensive mopping up of hot spots, fire weakened trees, and smoldering vegetation well into the fire’s perimeter. These actions are crucial to ensuring that the fire will not cross over control lines and will ultimately add containment once firefighters determine there is no threat of escape. Due to the extremely low fuel moisture in the vegetation, fire activity remained active along the eastern front of the fire despite the inversion layer today. Although the area to the east of the fire includes the American and King Fires’ burn scars, there remains a large area of dense unburned forest in between the two which would be very receptive to fire activity. Crews worked in the area to the east of the fire to build indirect control lines with heavy equipment while also utilizing existing roads when possible. Firefighters continue to look for all possibilities to construct control lines as close to the fire’s edge as terrain and firefighter safety allow.

Containment lines on the southern perimeter of the fire along Volcanoville Road continue to hold and firefighters are strengthening remaining control lines in that area to increase containment. One of today’s top priorities was completing strategic firing operations to assist in locking in the southwest corner of the fire near Buckeye Point. Crews successfully completed their firing operations and have now tied fire into both sides of the Middle Fork of the American River. Firefighters will monitor and strengthen these control lines in order to hold the southwest corner.

The use of aircraft was limited today due to the continued inversion layer over the fire area. Several helicopters were used for water-dropping operations in the late afternoon hours. A CAL FIRE HAWK helicopter continues to be available and utilized for nighttime water-dropping missions. The tropical moisture that has been in the area is forecasted to exit the region in the next day with slightly increased southwest winds. These winds are also forecasted to push the inversion layer out of the fire area earlier in the day tomorrow which will allow for more aircraft use, but could also increase fire activity.

A Damage Inspection Specialist (DINS) Team has started assessments in both El Dorado and Placer Counties. These assessments will be ongoing and will be updated as completed.