The around the clock work by firefighters and improved weather conditions are proving favorable when it comes to corralling the Crozier Fire in nearby El Dorado County. As of the latest report, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Service (CalFire) and the United State Forest Service (USFS) has reported that crews have reached 68% containment of the fire, which has been held to 1938 acres. In addition to the gain in containment, evacuation orders and warnings that were in affect outside of the fire’s perimeter of the fire were lifted Tuesday.
“The fire is still within the containment lines, with any remaining heat located inside as the last of the dead and downed fuels burn out.The crew continues to mop up within 300 feet of the edge of the fire,” CalFire explained in its Tuesday evening incident briefing where they said despite the increase in containment, the fire still poses challenges to to firefighters. “The fire is still smoldering in areas with steep, rugged terrain, and an abundance of fuel, making containment efforts challenging. Crews are working in high heat, with weakened trees and steep, rocky terrain.”
The Crozier Fire fire started around 1:21 a.m. on Aug. 7 near Slate Mountain, northeast of Placerville in El Dorado County. The fire quickly crew in the rugged terrain and threatened as many as 4,000 structures at times, 1625 of which are residences.
As of Sunday afternoon, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office began repopulating some areas of the communities of Georgetown, Garden Valley, Volcanoville, and Quintet. As they allow many of these residents to return home, officials are urging caution by resident as the firefight on the blaze is far from over and a great amount of fire equipment and personnel continue to work in multiple areas The repopulation of the various communities continued to expand throughout the day on Tuesday, with some evacuation orders remaining in place as well various area and roadway closures as the fire continues to burning within containment lines.
“The Evacuation Warning zone has been lifted for the Crozier Fire, however the Evacuation Order remains around the footprint of the fire,” CalFire explained along with warning residents of hazardous driving conditions in some areas. “Rock Creek Rd. is extremely narrow, please use the traffic flow plan that has been suggested as there will still be Fire Personnel and equipment traveling in the area,” they advised. CalFire urges residents and those with an interest in the current evacuation orders remaining in place and updates on repopulation zones to visit their interactive map at Perimetermap.com here.
Officials confirmed Tuesday evening that an area Closure Order is in effect for the Crozier Fire area on the Eldorado National Forest to provide for public safety during wildland fire suppression efforts and forest rehabilitation work. It is temporarily prohibited to be on any National Forest System lands within the closure area, for more information and to view the closure order and map visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/…/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1199927.pdf
The Crozier Fire continues to be managed under the unified command of CalFire, the USFS and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, has been mapped in size of 1,938 acres in size. As of Tuesday evening, a total of 1,219 fire personnel remains assigned to the incident. Active resources in the ongoing firefight include 10 helicoptiers, 51 engines, 29 dozers, 36 water tenders and a total of 32 different crews.
Specified cause still under investigation
The cause of the Crozier Fire remains under investigation, according to CalFire Tuesday. Last Thursday, the Placerville Police Department confirmed that officers had made an arson arrest close to the time the Crozier Fire started.
Several social media posts previously reportedly shared misinformation regarding the arrest of the suspect that was made near Rock Creek Road. However, the department clarified that the arrest does not appear to be connected to the fire at this time as the investigation continues.
California is currently experiencing several active wildfires managed by CalFire. Among these, the Boise Fire in Humboldt County is burning 4,270 acres with no containment, highlighting the challenges posed by dry conditions. The Park Fire, which spans multiple counties including Butte, Tehama, Shasta, and Plumas, has scorched 429,263 acres and is 40% contained.
Additionally, the Borel Fire in Kern County, covering 59,288 acres, is nearly under control at 91% containment. The 2024 SQF Lightning Complex fire, also in Kern and Tulare counties, has consumed 32,801 acres and is 70% contained. These incidents underscore the ongoing fire risk across the state. While CalFire is the lead agency on the majority of California’s active wildfires, their efforts area also supported by the assistance of fire agencies throughout the state and even outside of California. Among those providing assistance is Folsom and several other departments.
Strike Team 4152 Alpha has been deployed for 21 days, supporting the Park Fire. The strike team leader and trainee from the Sacramento Fire Department and Folsom Fire Department were joined on the assigngment by engines from Marysville Fire, Wheatland Fire Authority, Linda Fire Protection District, Peninsula Fire District, and the Olivehurst Fire District.
Folsom Fire is among the multiple agencies that are part of he team.
“It has been a challenging but rewarding experience to assist our state through the CalOES mass mutual aid system,” the Folsom Fire Department shared in a statement.
For more detailed information on the Crozier Fire and other incidents across the state, residents can visit CalFire’s Incident Page.