Pollock Pines, CA…Fire behavior was extreme yesterday with an estimated increase of 43,000 acres push to the north of over ten miles. Highway 50 is subject to closure based on fire behavior.. The fire continued to burn actively throughout the night. However: due to the days extreme fire behavior, steep terrain, inaccessibility, variable wind direction, an darkness it was unsafe to approach the north portion of the fire to directly observe the fire behavior. Field observations, and Infrared imagery it was determined that the fire made a run of over ten miles t the north between the hours of 1600 and 0600. Spot fires were observed up to three miles ahead of the main fire front….

Incident Overview

The King Fire is currently located in the canyon of the South Fork of the American River north of the community of Pollock Pines.

Facebook Page for King Fire: https://www.facebook.com/KINGFIREPIO

Special Announcements: Public Meeting – Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Georgetown Elementary School at 6530 Wentworth Springs Road, Georgetown, CA 95634.

Evacuations: 2,819 people

Evacuations: To obtain the most current and accurate evacuation status and information go directly to the

El Dorado County Sheriff’s blog (pio.edso.org) and web page at: www.edcgov.us/Government/El_Dorado_County_King_Fire_Information.aspx. The Sheriff’s office manages all evacuation activities for the county and is updating information as changes occur. To assist in this effort, the Chief Administrative Office of El Dorado County has set up a hotline and webpage.

The hotline phone number is (530) 642-7263. The hotline will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Voicemail is available outside of the hotline hours.

Information will also be updated via the County’s Twitter @CountyElDorado and Facebook.

Shelter Location: Moved to the Camino Seventh-day Adventist Church at 3520 Carson Road, Camino, CA 95709.

Pollock Pines schools are open.

Basic Information
Current as of 9/18/2014, 8:10:06 AM
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Saturday September 13th, 2014 approx. 06:37 PM
Location Forebay road, Pollock Pines, CA
Incident Commander Unified Command Team 5
Current Situation
Total Personnel 3,695
Size 70,944 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 5%
Fuels Involved

Heavy timber, steep terrain
Significant Events

The fire continued to burn actively throughout the night. However: due to the days extreme fire behavior, steep terrain, inaccessibility, variable wind direction, an darkness it was unsafe to approach the north portion of the fire to directly observe the fire behavior. Field observations, and Infrared imagery it was determined that the fire made a run of over ten miles t the north between the hours of 1600 and 0600. Spot fires were observed up to three miles ahead of the main fire front.
Outlook
Planned Actions

Utilize air resources to slow the rate of spread, influence the direction of spread, and assist in structure protection. Identify additional communities and values at risk and develop plans to minimize impacts.

Continue to construct, hold, and improve control lines on the south and west portions of the fire. Provide protection for the structures, infrastructure, habitat, and other values at risk. Identify and conduct indirect and direct control lines on the north and west portions of the incident as staffing and conditions allow, providing for firefighter and public safety first.
Projected Incident Activity

There is a high potential for extreme fire behavior today. Although the predicted temperatures are slightly lower and the humidity slightly higher, the winds are expected to be as strong or stronger than yesterday. The fire is expected to continue to spread to the north with the variable winds and the extensive east and west flanks the fire is expected to make flanking runs when in alignment with slope and/or winds.
Remarks

Fire behavior was extreme yesterday with an estimated increase of 43,000 acres push to the north of over ten miles. Highway 50 is subject to closure based on fire behavior.
Current Weather
Weather Concerns

Overnight the temperatures were in the mid 60’s. The winds were 10-15 mph with gust to 25 mph. The wind direction was predominately from the southwest in the evening, then became mostly down canyon through the night, and then reversed and became mostly down canyon in the morning. The winds may begin to swing around to the southeast and south in the afternoon. The winds are predicted to be the strongest in the Rubicon area with winds 10-15 mph and gust to 20 mph. An upper low is expected to move overhead through the area on Thursday bringing a chance of thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday.