California Mosquito Wildfire Update Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:00) And with the fight against the destructive Mosquito Fire, which continues to grow in El Dorado and Placer Counties, more than 46,000 acres now scorched, containment at just 10%, and thousands remain under evacuation orders tonight with more than 5,000 buildings threatened. And the stage is set for the fire to grow even larger incoming days. Speaker 2: (00:23) You might recall that we were in that historic heat wave recently and the vegetation and the downed material logs, et cetera, are quite ready to carry fire in this direction. Speaker 1: (00:35) The fire behavior analyst also telling us that a new air mass is coming in tomorrow, likely lifting some of the smoke and pushing the fire to the northeast. And sadly, our reporters have observed structures damaged or destroyed, and many homes that remain in good condition are vacant, with more than 11,000 people forced to evacuate. Authorities have announced some arrests of suspected looters and ABC 10's Bridgette Bjorlo shows us what's being done in Placer County to keep homes protected. Bridgette Bjorlo: (01:06) You'll see these closed road signs throughout the evacuation zone of the mosquito fire and police are stepping up their patrols to make sure no one gets through these roads who shouldn't, but it's certainly a hard task. Just yesterday someone was arrested for burglary after posing as a PG&E contractor. Bridgette Bjorlo: (01:25) More than 5,900 people remain evacuated in Placer County as the Mosquito Fire threatens their homes. Derek Jones: (01:32) Sort of distraught, scared, frightened. Bridgette Bjorlo: (01:35) For now, the parking lot of Sierra College is where Derek Jones and his two dogs will rest and wait, not knowing what will be left a Forest Hill when they return. Derek Jones: (01:45) Pray that we get to go home and everything's going to be as it was when we left. Bridgette Bjorlo: (01:52) He sends his thanks to the first responders protecting his house from both flames and looters. Derek Jones: (01:58) Sheriffs keep telling us they're going through and checking our place 10 times a day, 10 times a night to keep looters and trespassers from going in. We're scared. We're scared that when we do go home, there's nothing. All our belongings are going to be gone. Bridgette Bjorlo: (02:16) The Placer County Sheriff's Office is conducting 24/7 patrols through the evacuation zone to keep out those who don't belong. Speaker 5: (02:24) So we have 24/7 roving patrols. We have approximately, I believe 22 Placer County sheriff's deputies on patrol, the mutual aid partners and Placer County Sheriff's deputies roving patrol. We're just saturating the area as much as we can to make sure that the property is secure. Bridgette Bjorlo: (02:44) But despite the added security, suspected looters are still undeterred. Authorities say thankfully most have been caught and turned away at road closures. But deputies arresting this man Friday on burglary charges after they say he got through a checkpoint by posing as a PG&E contractor and they have this message for the next person who tries. Speaker 5: (03:06) Stay out of the area. You're not welcome. We love our community. We love protecting our community. You're taking advantage of these people that have been forced out of their homes and it's unacceptable. Bridgette Bjorlo: (03:18) Residents of this part of town have been evacuated for five days now and some are being told it might not be till October till they're let back in. It's why deputies are telling those people that they're doing everything they can to ensure that their property stays safe while they're away. Back to you. Speaker 1: (03:35) Our Bridgette Bjorlo reporting. Speaker 1: (03:38) Dramatic video now tonight of an El Dorado County deputy driving through the mosquito fire to rescue an elderly couple on Volcano Villa Road. The couple told the Sheriff's Office that they were stuck inside the fire lines with their two dogs. Their car broke down and they had no way out. Thankfully, the deputy was able to save the couple and their dogs. It's a reminder to take evacuation orders seriously. But for many people who find themselves at evacuation centers, the long wait for answers about their homes and neighborhoods is agonizing. ABC 10's Giacomo Luca reports from the evacuation center at Sierra College in Rocklin. Giacomo Luca: (04:18) Well, dozens of evacuees have turned out here at Sierra College. Some staying in trailers or their cars, others staying inside the college on cots. The smoke that's filled the air is really brought quite a bit of anxiety to folks that are staying here now out of their homes for a few days as that fire continues to rage on. Linda Hoffman: (04:38) [inaudible 00:04:38]- Giacomo Luca: (04:40) Linda Hoffman fled from her Forest Hill home this week, packing up what she could in this trailer, including more than a dozen show dogs. Linda Hoffman: (04:49) When this is over, then I'll collapse. But right now you can't. Giacomo Luca: (04:53) She's got to hold it together saying your children and dogs are counting on her. They're held up in the parking lot of Sierra College, along with the many other evacuees facing the same. The woman in her 70s tells me she's overwhelmed by the care paid by the many volunteers coming from far and wide to help. Linda Hoffman: (05:11) Usually I'm a very strong person, but right now my heart is so big I can hardly keep it in my chest because the outpouring of the community, it's just overwhelms me. Giacomo Luca: (05:21) Volunteers like Nicole Orozco Briones with Life from the Ashes. Nicole Orozco Briones: (05:26) We're just here to help any way we can. Giacomo Luca: (05:27) A volunteer group born after the campfire in Paradise, California's most deadly and destructive ever. Now, she and volunteers offer clothes, food, and other necessities to those threatened by fires. Speaker 9: (05:40) It was terrifying because I wasn't sure if I was going to get out of there in time because- Giacomo Luca: (05:43) Now safe after a scary exit from Georgetown earlier this week, Isabella Stigen is thankful in waiting here for the foreseeable future, hoping positive news will come soon in this massive fire fight. Speaker 1: (05:57) Turning now to our weather meteorologist, Brendan Minchif is tracking conditions tonight. Brendan Minchif: (06:03) Yeah, that's right. So this is the updated map for the mosquito fire. The perimeter is in that red line and you can see where a lot of that activity, where that fire activity was today, just to the south and east of that perimeter line. And that is where we are watching for new fire activity as that fire starts to get pushed off to the north and the east over the next few days. Brendan Minchif: (06:24) Over 46,000 acres burned, now still only 10% contained. Tomorrow's forecast temperatures in the seventies and eighties near the fire. That wind though out of the southwest, generally at 10 miles an hour, stronger in some of the valleys of course, and up the hills. The forecast tomorrow, again with that wind out of southwest, is expected to push that fire to the north and the east. Wind speeds in the Valley not very strong right now, only five miles an hour or so, but it has helped to clear that air a little bit. Air quality, not as bad as it was, but you can see that smoke will be spreading to the foothills yet again tomorrow morning. Brendan Minchif: (07:00) From the Gilmore backyard in the forecast at a glance, Valley tomorrow highs about 90 degrees, partly sunny. In this era though, lots of smoke, very poor air quality, but fall like temperatures are just around the corner for the middle part of this week.