King Fire slows Thursday; Man faces arson charges, $10 million bail; Lake Tahoe open
UPDATE FRIDAY 9AM: Highway 50 reopened Friday morning. Expect delays and partial lane closures. Westbound traffic is reduced to 1 lane from Riverton to Pollock Pines.
UPDATE: The King Fire was much less active Thursday and firefighters were able to gain control on the southwestern end of the fire near Pollock Pines. The fire is 10 percent contained as of Thursday night and has consumed 73,124 acres, Cal Fire officials said.
According to a Cal Fire public information officer the northernmost 'finger' of fire is around the west side of Hellhole Reservoir, headed to Chipmunk Ridge. There was structure protection preparation work at Hellhole Reservoir.
Smoke levels continue to plague western Nevada, particularly Carson City and Reno but the forecast calls for winds to change direction some and drive the smoke away, according a National Weather Service forecast discussion briefing issued Thursday night.
There are 3,842 firefighters on this fire. It is burning in steep terrain in the South Fork of the American River Canyon and Silver Creek Canyon, north of the community of Pollock Pines. The fire nearly tripled in size making a run to the northeast Wednesday of over 10 miles up the Rubicon Canyon towards Hell Hole Reservoir. Spot fires were observed up to 3 miles ahead of the fire front and have moved into Placer County.
North Tahoe Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Schwartz and Meeks Bay Fire Protection District Chief Tim Alameda issued a statement Thursday night saying there have been no evacuations thus far in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
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UPDATE: The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday the arrest of Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, charged with felony arson for allegedly starting the King Fire on federal land. He was booked Wednesday night into El Dorado County Jail and is being held on $10 million bail.
The criminal complaint filed against Huntsman states that he has been charged with felony arson with aggravating factors. The California fire has burned more than 70,000 acres since Saturday.
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UPDATE: Smoke from the King Fire burning in El Dorado County near Pollock Pines is causing visibility restrictions below one mile on Interstate 80. The National Weather Service in Reno said it received reports of visibility down to a quarter mile on Donner Summit. The camera images are courtesy of Caltrans and are showing images from Castle Peak, over Donner Summit, to the Interstate 80 and Highway 89 interchange. If you have plans to travel on Interstate 80 today through the Sierra, slow down and be prepared for drastic reductions in visibility.
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California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for El Dorado County due to the King Fire, which grew Wednesday consuming more than 70,994 acres. There are more than 2,000 homes still threatened. 3,695 people are working the fire with 299 engines.
Caltrans is evaluating Highway 50, having closed, re-opened and closed it again. It was closed again this morning, according to the latest information on Twitter. Go here for the latest on the fire.
Air quality throughout the region remains unhealthy, according to airnow.gov. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.
The image above from the National Weather Service in Reno shows the probable areas of smoke through Friday based on forecast wind information and assuming the King Fire remains active. Southwest winds will keep the smoke area in the general same area. Winds have turned westerly and pushed smoke more into western Nevada. On Friday and through the weekend, winds will switch to the east and push the smoke out of the area. Smoke will reduce visibility and obscure terrain as well as reduce air quality at times in the color shaded areas.
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