The fire, which broke out on Mosquito Road in Oxbow Reservoir on the evening of Sept. 6, is 71,292 acres and 21 percent contained, Cal Fire said in an update Saturday morning. Firefighters continued patrols and securing control lines Friday night in anticipation of increased winds in the area, which are expected to peak Saturday afternoon with gusts of 20-25 mph, according to Cal Fire. While the National Weather Service said rain is expected Sunday through Tuesday, Cal Fire said it will help moderate and slow the fire’s growth, but is not predicted to be a season-ending event. Crews will welcome the rain, but stronger winds have the potential to blow embers farther ahead of the fire. “Weather changes will be the biggest challenge for firefighters in the coming days,” Cal Fire said in the update. The Mosquito Fire has overtaken Siskiyou County’s McKinney Fire to become California’s largest wildfire of the year. Evacuation orders came in for parts of Georgetown Friday afternoon, but more than 11,000 people remain displaced, according to fire officials.
Other updates on the fires
▪ The Dutch Fire, which broke out Tuesday afternoon near Dutch Flat in Placer County, is burning at 48 acres and is 75 percent contained as of Saturday morning. All evacuations have been lifted and I-80 has opened to one lane in both directions, fire officials said in a news release. ▪ The Mountain Fire, which ignited near Gazelle-Callahan Road in Siskiyou County on the afternoon of Sept. 2, is 85 percent contained with 13,440 acres charred. Increased clouds and light rain are forecast throughout the weekend, which could lead to flash flooding or flooding near burned areas, according to Cal Fire. ▪ The Fairview Fire, burning near Hemet in Riverside County, remains at 28,307 acres and is 98 percent contained. Weather in the region is expected to shift to drier and warmer conditions on Saturday, causing “disturbing smoke” in areas of the fire’s perimeter, according to fire officials. The fire killed two civilians, injured one more and also injured two firefighters. Related stories from the Sacramento Bee Dominique Williams is a weekend reporting intern at The Sacramento Bee. She is a journalism major at Sacramento State, where she reports for The State Hornet.
