Drone Sighting Stops Air Operations from Fighting Fire

Cris Alarcon, News@InEDC.com

(PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA) Sept 15, 2022 — At at 12:54 PM there was a Drone sighting near the Georgetown Mobile Retardant Base, law enforcement is in the area now. Drone incursions mean suspending air operations in the area.

At 1:25 pm there had been no drone sightings in the last 30 minutes, okay to return to mobile retardant base. Air Operations will resume staed Cal Fire.

Air operations are now ongoing.

High humidity is stopping “Operational Burns” and slowing the Repopulation of Georgetown area.

See Operations Report:


Situation Summary

Overnight, smoke settled back into drainages due to easing winds, with a majority of the fire area seeing good humidity recovery. Firefighters continued working throughout the night, patrolling, mopping up, and securing control lines around the south and east sides of the fire. Crews and heavy equipment, including a large number of dozers, continued constructing indirect lines adjacent to steep and rugged terrain to the east of the main firefront. Firefighters remain engaged on the north side of the fire near Deadwood Road. Crews continued bringing strategic firing operations down the Deadwood Road from the Foresthill Divide Road with the intention of stopping the fire’s northern spread. Firefighters were conducting similar operations on the southeast corner of the fire near Stumpy Meadows by constructing control lines and utilizing firing operations to secure them.

Today’s priorities remain securing each of the three corners of the fire. Firefighters have been very successful in holding the control lines along the communities of Todd Valley and Foresthill despite challenging fire conditions on Tuesday. Crews will continue extensive mop-up operations in those areas, the Foresthill Road corridor, and on the portions of line to the north of Volacanoville. Southwest winds have been favorable for the communities along Volcanoville Road, but firefighters remain in the areas to ensure the fire does not spot across containment lines. These mop-up operations include firefighters using hose lines, water, and hand tools to thoroughly extinguish or remove remaining burning material well inside the fire’s edge. This is to ensure that no smoldering debris will roll, fall, or fly over the containment lines and start a spot fire. With the critically dry fuels in the area, it only takes a small ember to start a spot fire and spread rapidly in the steep terrain.

 

Threat slowing repopulating Georgetown Area


Today’s forecasted weather will be slightly cooler with lighter southwest winds that will continue to push out the smoke inversion and provide clear air over the fire area. Stronger winds are predicted for this weekend ahead of an incoming system that is forecasted to include precipitation.