Forest Service: Progress made on Kyburz Fire, Highway 50 may reopen today
The Kyburz Fire in El Dorado County is 30 percent contained as of Friday morning and has burned around 200 acres. Highway 50 remains in both directions.
Fire officials say opening Highway 50 is a priority and are looking at re-opening at least one lane by late Friday afternoon or evening once safety concerns are mitigated.
The Kyburz Fire is located in the canyon of the South Fork of the American River, west of the community of Kyburz. The fire is currently in the lower half of the canyon east of Whitehall on both sides of the American River.
About 90 percent of the fire is on the north side of the river burning in steep slopes below Weber Mill Road. The west side of the fire has burned into light fuels from the 2013 Kyburz fire. PG&E power-lines have been de-energized between Whitehall and Kyburz. Cooler than normal temperatures and light winds have kept the fire to a low rate of spread.
Evacuations: Mandatory Evacuation Orders are in place for the following: Whitehall to Sand Flat. A Voluntary Evacuation Advisory is in place for residents of Kyburz and Strawberry.
Road Closures: Highway 50 at Sly Park Road in Pollock Pines to Meyers. Opening Highway 50 is a priority. The highway will be re-opened one lane with metered traffic once the safety concerns are mitigated. Fire officials will be looking at reopening possibly late afternoon or this evening if fire operations progress well today. Sand Flat is the only campground closed.
The Crystal Basin and Silver Fork areas are still open for camping, however access to these areas is affected by the road closure on Highway 50. Access to the Ice House road area is via Highway 49 to Highway 193 to Georgetown, east on Wentworth Springs road to Ice House road (paved all the way). Access to the Silver Fork area is via Sly Park road to Mormon Emigrant Trail to South Fork road. Fire restrictions are still in effect.
Cooperating Agencies: CAL FIRE, USFS, EDSO, CHP, Red Cross, Cal OES, El Dorado Irrigation District, PG&E, Sierra Pacific Industries.