Hawk Fire burns in grass and vineyards as air tankers called in for attack; evacuations ordered. Live updates below
Mandatory evacuations and local warnings are underway Monday afternoon as the fast-moving Hawk Fire burns in neighboring El Dorado County near Somerset, where firefighters are battling flames moving through grass and vineyards.
El Dorado County officials have issued a mandatory evacuation order for a portion of the Somerset Perimeter Zone, covering the area from Hawk Haven Lane to Perry Creek Road and from Gray Rock to Slug Gulch Road. Evacuation warnings are also in place in the area of Grizzly Flat Road and Mehwald Lane, within the Somerset and Grizzly Flat Perimeter Zones, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
Residents within the evacuation zone are being directed to leave the area using Fairplay Road and Mount Aukum Road.
A temporary evacuation point has been established at the Placerville Library, 345 Fair Lane in Placerville.
Officials are asking those evacuating to drive safely and stay out of the affected area to allow firefighters, law enforcement and other emergency personnel room to operate.
The evacuation order marks an escalation from earlier Monday afternoon, when local evacuations had initially been requested along Hawk Haven Lane as the fire expanded.
The Hawk Fire was first reported shortly before 1:50 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, in the Somerset area. By approximately 2:17 p.m., air attack personnel estimated the fire had quickly grown to between 15 and 20 acres as crews were responding. By 2:47 p.m. the fire was estimated to be approximately 40 acres in size., according to incident command.
The fire was reported to be burning primarily in grass and vineyards as crews mounted an aggressive response from both the ground and air.
The incident was initially reported at approximately 1:47 p.m. as a vegetation fire with smoke visible from an ALERTCalifornia camera in the Outingdale area. Fire resources were dispatched as the smoke column developed.
Within minutes, firefighting aircraft began arriving over the incident and providing updated information on the fire’s location and size. The reported location of the fire was adjusted as aircraft overhead established more precise flight orbits around the incident.
By 2:05 p.m., air attack had requested an additional Type 3 multi-engine air tanker to respond to the fire, adding to the aerial resources already assigned to the incident.
About 12 minutes later, air attack estimated the fire at 15 to 20 acres, burning through grass and vineyards. At that time, personnel at the scene reported local evacuations were being requested along Hawk Haven Lane. Those evacuation measures have since expanded into the mandatory evacuation order covering the larger Somerset area described by county officials.
No containment figure had been reported in the initial afternoon updates. There were also no immediate reports of injuries or confirmed structure damage.
The Somerset area is located southeast of Placerville in southern El Dorado County, where homes, vineyards, ranch properties and wildland vegetation are intermixed. Residents outside the current evacuation zone should remain alert for additional emergency notifications as conditions can change quickly during an active vegetation fire.
This is a developing incident. Folsom Times will update this story as additional information becomes available from fire officials and El Dorado County authorities.
UPDATE 3:43 p.m. acreage currently 45.4, no containment as evacuations expand
The Hawk Fire has now been mapped at approximately 45 acres, with one outbuilding destroyed as firefighters continue working to contain the vegetation fire burning in the Fairplay-Somerset area of El Dorado County.
According to the latest incident update, improved mapping placed the fire at approximately 45 acres. Firefighters were continuing to make progress and working to establish a wet line around the main fire. Active spot fires remained, and crews were continuing suppression efforts.
A mandatory evacuation order remains in place in the Somerset Perimeter Zone from Hawk View Lane to Perry Creek Road and from Gray Rock to Slug Gulch Road. Residents within the evacuation order are being directed to leave using Fairplay Road and Mount Aukum Road.
Evacuation warnings are in place along Slug Gulch Road, Boondock Trail, Kirk Lane, Silent Path Road, Raphael Ridge Road, Grizzly Flat Road and Mehwald Lane, affecting portions of the Somerset, Grizzly Flat and Omo Ranch Perimeter Zones.
A temporary evacuation point remains available at the Placerville Library, 345 Fair Lane in Placerville.
The fire was initially estimated at 15 to 20 acres after breaking out in the area of Hawk Haven Lane and Perry Creek Road Monday afternoon. The latest mapping puts the incident at approximately 45 acres.
No injuries have been reported in the latest incident update.
UPDATE 4:22 p.m. crews report fire activity is holding within lines
Fire is holding within retardant lines at approximately 45 acres, according to incident command. All spot fires have been picked up, and crews will remain on scene for approximately four hours conducting mop-up operations.
UPDATE 4:28 p.m. forward progress of the fire has been stopped
Forward progress of the Hawk Fire has been stopped, according to the latest incident update. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place in the affected areas per incident command.
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