PLYMOUTH, Calif. (KCRA) —Firefighters were making progress Friday night containing a grass fire burning along the line that separates Amador and El Dorado counties.
Amador County fire
Amador County fire
Photo snapped at the Shenandoah Vineyards (July 25, 2014)
Photo courtesy Robert Sobon
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Flames from Highway 49 fire engulf home
Flames from Highway 49 fire engulf home
A grass fire in El Dorado and Amador counties burns a home off Highway 49 on Friday.
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The fire, which has forced evacuations for people who live along Sand Ridge Road and Freshwater Lane, was 20 percent contained as of 10:30 p.m., according to Cal Fire officials.
The Sand Fire, as it is called, has burned 1,300 acres and destroyed at least two structures.
View #SandFire photos
Between 200 and 250 people have been evacuated, according to El Dorado County sheriff's officials.
An evacuation center has been setup at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. Evacuated animals are also being sheltered at the fairgrounds.
Sheriff's officials are asking evacuees to enter the fairgrounds from Forni Road on the side of the Denny's Restaurant.
Highway 49 remains open throughout the area.
Watch report: Wildfire burns on border of Amador-El Dorado counties
A massive plume of smoke was visible for at least 50 miles Friday afternoon.
KCRA's Mark Finan said satellite imagery showed smoke drifting into El Dorado, Nevada and Placer counties.
LiveCopter 3 flew over the scene Friday evening, where it appeared the fire was burning on both sides of the Cosumnes River.
Firefighters are battling steep terrain under dry and hot conditions. Temperatures, which were in the triple digits when the fire started in the afternoon, remained in the 80s throughout the evening.
Residents and visitors to the area have been told to be prepared and aware of the unfolding situation, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a spokeswoman for the state's fire department. More evacuation orders are possible.
Story Winery sits to the south of where the fire is burning. An employee at the winery said flames came within 200 yards, but as of Friday evening, the fire was moving away from that area.
The blaze started about 4:30 p.m., just north of Plymouth, in a very remote area.
Access is tough for Cal Fire crews, Tolmachoff said. Also posing a challenge to firefighters is how high the blaze is burning. Many treetops are on fire.
Air tankers and helicopters were flying over the Gold Beach area Friday afternoon.
Overnight, fire crews will use bulldozers to cut fire lines in an effort to stop the blaze from spreading, Cal Fire officials said.
The fire is about 45 miles east of Sacramento. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Dry, thick brush and oak trees are fueling the blaze.
Early reports indicate a vehicle fire may have spread to some nearby vegetation, sparking the massive blaze, officials said.
Ten fire engines and two command officers from Sacramento County headed out to the Amador region Friday evening, including units from Cosumnes, Sac Metro, Folsom and Wilton Fire.
Sand Ridge Road is closed.
Read more:
http://www.kcra.com/news/grass-fire-in-amador-co-kicks-up-massive-smoke-plume/27156260#ixzz38bP1FabG
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