Foresthill, CA…Effective August 15, 2013, an emergency closure order is in place for portions of National Forest System lands within and adjacent to the American Fire. A map and description of the closed area can be obtained at Tahoe National Forest offices as well as online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/tahoe

The American fire is burning in heavy fuels, on very steep slopes. Access to the fire area is limited.

The heavy fuels are creating large amounts of smoke. Smoke is a significant issue for the Sierra Foothills, Tahoe area, and Sacramento Valley. An air quality warning has been issued for Placer county. Those planning to visit area campgrounds and other recreation sites may experience intermittent heavy smoke. Smoky conditions may last for several days.

Fire officials are establishing an incident base known as a spike camp in the Greek Store area off of Mosquito Ridge Road to enable easier access to the southeast end of the fire.

A 10,000 gallon water tank and a 10,000 gallon mobile retardant plant to aid with helicopter suppression operations has been established at the Blue Canyon Airport just south of Interstate 80.

The fire is located about 10 miles northeast of Foresthill in the Tahoe National Forest. The fire has burned across the North Fork Middle Fork American River and is burning both up and down the river drainage. The potential for fire growth is high due to the heavy fuels, steep slopes (up to 150 percent), predicted temperatures, and low humidities.

The community of Foresthill is not threatened.

Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Saturday August 10th, 2013 approx. 04:30 PM
Location Deadwood Ridge, northeast of Foresthill
Incident Commander Dana D’andrea
Current Situation
Total Personnel 873
Size 4,958 acres
Percent Contained 35%
Fuels Involved

Heavy timber
Fire Behavior

The fire will continue to grow with the alignment of topography and the predicted weather pattern.
Significant Events

Smoke is anticipated to be a significant issue for the Sierra Foothills.
Outlook
Terrain Difficulty

Very steep terrain
Remarks

Continue to fight aggressively with direct and indirect lines.
Current Weather
Wind Conditions 7-15 mph SW
Temperature 78 degrees
Humidity 12-18%