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Caldor Fire: 2 seriously injured as wildfire grows at threatening pace
Two people were seriously injured and hospitalized Tuesday because of a wildfire burning in El Dorado County that's prompted a slew of new evacuations and tore through the community of Grizzly Flats, Cal Fire said.
One person from the Grizzly Flats area approached firefighters around 7 a.m., Cal Fire said. Crews tried giving medical care to the victim before requesting air transport for them, Cal Fire said. A second person was also injured in the Grizzly Flats area and was transported by air to a local hospital.
The Caldor Fire ignited Saturday near Little Mountain between Omo Ranch and Grizzly Flats and has burned more than 30,000 acres, Cal Fire said Tuesday afternoon. There is no containment around the fire.
Cal Fire also said 86 structures were destroyed as of Tuesday.
As the wildfire rages, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in El Dorado County. With declaring a state of emergency, the state can pull from federal funds to assist with the other major wildfires in California: the Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas counties, and the Monument Fire in Trinity County.
Residents in the Grizzly Flats and Somerset areas were ordered to leave early Tuesday morning because of the Caldor Fire.
Another evacuation order was issued for the Sly Park area a few hours later. An environmental center there usually welcomes thousands of students from the Sacramento area, although not since the COVID-19 pandemic.
People from the Pollock Pines area were then ordered to evacuate Tuesday afternoon. Placerville police said to expect congestion on westbound Highway 50 as residents fled their homes.
U.S. Forest Service officials said they will likely announce a complete shutdown of the El Dorado National Forest.
RELATED | KCRA 3 Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan discusses Caldor Fire, weather impacts
"We know this fire has done things that nobody could have predicted, but that's how firefighting has been in the state this year," El Dorado National Forest Supervisor Chief Jeff Marsolais said in a Tuesday briefing.
Deputies with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office are in the Grizzly Flats and Pollock Pines areas to patrol after receiving several reports of looting.
A debris pile and playground equipment were all that remained at Walt Tyler Elementary School in Grizzly Flats. KCRA 3 reporter Lysée Mitri said she also witnessed a post office that was destroyed.
An evacuation warning has been issued for south of Highway 50 to Pleasant Valley Road and from Sly Park Road west to Snows Road and Newtown Road, including the community of Rancho Del Sol. A warning means fire behavior could threaten nearby homes and businesses. Evacuations aren't mandatory but they are encouraged.
| MORE | Wildfire Map: Here's where California fires are burning
Some 2,000 structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire. Some homes have burned in the fire, but an estimate of damaged and destroyed structures is not yet available.
Evacuee grateful to have escaped
Darby Flynn, who lives in the area, was headed to a friend’s house after fleeing her home before her evacuation warning became mandatory.
Speaking outside a Safeway in Pollock Pines where she was picking up a prescription, Flynn said she was “glad to be able to evacuate and not be caught in the fire.”
“I just kind of grabbed some things and some important artwork that my mom painted for me and something my aunt made for me and that was pretty much it,” she said. “Otherwise, I just try to remember that things are things and most of them you can replace.”
Caldor Fire evacuee Sheila Seddon said outside an evacuation center in Diamond Springs that the fire was "scary."
“It was just black and orange and really — history repeating itself,” she said.
Evacuation orders
- All areas between Mormon Emigrant Trail and Highway 88
- Intersection of Perry Creek and Hawk Haven
- East side of Fairplay Road from Perry Creek to Cedarville Road: This includes Slug Gulch, Omo Ranch and all roads off of Slug Gulch and Omo Ranch
- All roads off of Omo Ranch from Cedarville Road to Highway 88
- South side of Highway 50 north of Sly Park to extend west to Snows Road
- North of Highway 50 from Larsen Drive to the west and Ice House to the east
- North of Highway 50 and south of Slab Creek Reservoir between Larsen and Ice House roads.
- Pollock Pines: East of Sly Park Road. South of Highway 50 up to Ice House Road. North of Mormon Emigrant Trail, including Jenkinson's/Sly Park Lake
- Grizzly Flats/Somerset: All roads off of Grizzly Flat Rd., east of Mt. Aukum Rd. in Somerset (Known as Four Corners) into Grizzly Flats Proper
- Happy Valley: All roads off of Happy Valley Road, east of Mt. Aukum Rd. in Somerset to Sciaroni
- Barney Ridge east of Omo Ranch community
- Leoni Meadows
- Pi’Pi Valley
- Dogtown Creek
- Caldor area east of Omo Ranch
- The Pi’Pi area to NS Road
Click here to sign up for El Dorado County's alert notification system
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office over the weekend issued evacuation orders for people within a 1.5-mile radius of the fire. On Monday, evacuation warnings were upgraded to orders for people in the Leoni Meadows and Big Mountain areas. More people were then ordered to flee early Tuesday.
Shelter information
- The Fireman's Hall on 3734 China Garden Road, Diamond Springs, CA 95619 (Full as of Tuesday at 1:25 p.m.) -- This shelter is full and not accepting additional evacuees at this time.
- Cameron Park Community Service District, 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park, CA 95682. This shelter is currently accepting evacuees.
- Green Valley Church, 3500 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, CA . This shelter is currently accepting evacuees.
- For small animal shelter needs, you can call the El Dorado County Animal Services at 530-621-5795
School closures
Pioneer Elementary School, Mountain Creek Middle School and Walt Tyler Elementary School were closed Tuesday because of evacuations from the fire, school officials said.
Battling the blaze
Smoke from the Dixie Fire burning in Butte and Plumas counties helped crews in El Dorado County because it prevented higher temperatures, Cal Fire said in a Tuesday briefing.
Cal Fire anticipates more evacuation orders within the next few days due to the fire, which has grown so rapidly that crews are having a difficult time establishing a perimeter.
More than 200 personnel are fighting the blaze.
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