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Caldor Fire in El Dorado County grows to 65,474 acres, threatens mountain communities

The Caldor Fire south of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County, Calif., grew to 65,474 acres overnight Wednesday with zero containment as of Thursday morning.

The town of El Dorado, Somerset, Pleasant Valley, Fairplay, Omo Ranch and Riverton are among communities threatened. The community of Grizzly Flats was hit hard by the fire, losing a school, post office and homes.

Fire growth was moderated overnight due to increased humidity. Spotting and rollout continued to be the main contributor to fire spread throughout the evening. Spot fires remain hidden for long durations due to dense timber stands and limited road access.

For the next operational period fire behavior will increase in the afternoon when the inversion layer lifts. Expect multiple new spot fires in the North and Northeast areas of the incident, causing potential fire growth. A Red Flag Warning in the fire area ends at 11 a.m.

Here is the latest update from Cal Fire on evacuations and road closures:

EL DORADO COUNTY MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ORDERS:
- Grizzly Flat: The areas on Grizzly Flats Road east of Kendra Way into Grizzly Flats Proper. The areas of Diamond Railroad Grade, Old School House, Sweeney Road, Caldor Road, and steely Ridge.

• Grizzly Flats Road east of four corners in Somerset into Grizzly Flats Proper.

- The areas of Myers Lane, Varmet Ridge Road, Rodwell Canyon Road, Snowbird Lane, and Mehwald Lane.

• East of Sly Park Road between Highway 50 and Mormon Emigrant Trail to Ice House Road. This includes the communities of Pacific House and Fresh Pond.

• North of Highway 50 ,east of Forebay Road to Ice House Road.

• Intersection of Perry Creek and Hawk Haven , the East side of Fairplay Road from Perry Creek South to Cedarville Road. This includes Slug Gulch, Omo Ranch, and all roads off of Slug Gulch and Omo Ranch.

• All roads off of Omo Ranch from Cedarville Road to Hwy 88.

• The area between Highway 88 and Mormon Emigrant Trail

• South of Highway 50 from Snows Road to Ice House Road.

• Between Highway 50 and Slab Creek from Snows Road to Ice House Road.

- South of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road. This includes the community of Kyburz.

• North of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road to include Ice House Reservoir, Union Valley Reservoir, and Loon Lake.

EVACUATION WARNINGS:
• North of Slab Creek to Wentworth Springs Road between Sand Mountain and Loon Lake.

• Mosquito Road from the bridge North to include the Community of Swansboro.

• North of Highway 50 to Slab Creek between Smith Flat and Snows Road.

• South of Highway 50 to Pleasant Valley between Smith Flat and Snows Road, and North of Pleasant Valley between Holm and Newtown.

• South of Pleasant Valley between Bucks Bar Road and Newtown Road, East of Bucks Bar Road to Mt Aukum Road.

• Southwest of Bucks Bar Road to Ladies Valley Road including the community of Outingdale, Ant Hill Road, Perry Creek Road and Sand Ridge between Ladies Valley Road and Bucks Bar Road.

• East of Mt Aukum Road (E16) from Bucks Bar Road to Omo Ranch Road. North of Omo Ranch Road to the intersection of Omo Ranch Road and Fairplay Road.

• South of Omo Ranch to the El Dorado County Line between Mt Aukum Road (E16) and Fairplay Road to include Coyoteville Road, Cedar Creek and all tributary roads.

• North of Slab Creek to Wentworth Springs Road between Sand Mountain and Loon Lake.

• Mosquito Road from the bridge North to include the Community of Swansboro.

• North of Highway 50 to Slab Creek between Smith Flat and Snows Road.

AMADOR COUNTY - EVACUATION WARNINGS
- Shenandoah Road at the Amador County line west through the River Pines community, continuing west on Shenandoah Road to Ostrom Road. South on Ostrom Road to Jibboom Street, West on Jibboom Street to Fiddletown Road. East on Fiddletown Road to Hale Road. South on Hale Road to Shake Ridge Road.

East on Shake Ridge Road to Charleston Road. South on Charleston Road to the intersection of Charleston Road and Rams Horn Grade. Due east to Highway 88 at Tiger Creek Road. Tiger Creek Road east to Salt Springs Reservoir Road. East on Salt Springs Reservoir Road to the east end of the Salt Springs Reservoir. Due north from the east end of Salt Springs Reservoir to Highway 88.

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On September 15, 2017 the annual Nevada bear hunt season opens, and this year 45 hunters have been issued tags to participate in the season that lasts until Dec. 1, or until the quota of 20 black bears has been met, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The quota in 2016 was 41 bears.

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Labor Day commemorates the men and women whose sweat made this such a great country and has been a national holiday since 1894. Celebrate this unofficial end-of-summer with a trip to the lake, a backyard bar-be-que, the parade in Virginia City, or one of the many fun events going on around town. Head over to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for their annual Inter-faith Potluck Picnic and don’t forget to bring some silverware and something yummy to share.

MONDAY: Labor Day

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension presents a free Safety Day event for children and their families. The event, held in partnership with local businesses, organizations and agencies, is 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Sept. 9, at Mills Park, 111 E. William St. in Carson City.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Sept. 4-10, 2017: Road closures are expected at the following locations due to road/utility work, so please follow detours:

Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called early Sunday evening to an accident involving a skateboarder in the 1800 block of North Carson Street.

A pair of Carson city women were arrested Friday afternoon at 1:45 p.m. in the 1000 block of Woodside Drive for felony possession of methamphetamine, a Carson City Sheriff's deputy said.

BLACK ROCK CITY, Nev. — A man who broke through a safety perimeter and ran into a fire at Burning Man Saturday night has died, according to Nevada sheriff's officials.

The Slinkard Fire burning in the Topaz area since Tuesday has grown to more than 9,000 acres as of Sunday morning with 35 percent containment, according to Bureau of Land Management Incident Command. Highway 395 remains open.

The great thing about Labor Day weekend is that it just keeps going. The Best in the West Rib Cook-off offers up family fun, live music, and plenty of bar-be-qued delights all the way through Monday. For those with younger kids, consider a day at Mills Park. This is the last weekend for summertime train rides through the cottonwoods. Join Muscle Powered at Silver Saddle Ranch by the Carson River for a bike or hike this morning. Bring water and a camera, you never know what wildlife will make an appearance.

SUNDAY:

Carson City/Storey County, NV – University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s fall Grow Your Own, Nevada! Program presents eight classes statewide to help Nevadans get on the path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing and preserving more of their own food.

DAYTON — On Saturday, Sept. 9, more than a dozen communities throughout Nevada are participating in the annual Walk in Memory — Walk for Hope event. The goal of the event is to increase awareness of the effects suicide has on our nation and state, and to remember those who have been lost to suicide.

UPDATE SUNDAY, 9:10AM: A man who was stabbed Saturday evening and sustained a moderate to serious knife wound was flown to the trauma ward at a Reno hospital. His condition is unknown at this time. He is expected to live. It is unknown at this time if he remains in the hospital. No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed, said Carson City Sheriff's Office Sgt. Nate Brehm. The matter remains under investigation.

The days of summer flew by, and soon it will be fall again. Life and its events are relentlessly changing as though time were speeding up. Here at CHS, this new school year brings a list of new students, new clubs, and new activities to the desk and table of CHS teachers and students, and because time passes so quickly when busy, it is easy to become stressed with anxiety and succumb to its temptations.

The Young Dubliners and Cíana brought down the house Saturday night on the Minnesota Street Stage at the Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall parking lot, bringing the 2017 Levitt AMP Carson City Summer Concert Series to a close.

Eric Church wraps up the Summer Concert Series at Harveys Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena in Stateline, Nev., on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.

An assortment of hunting breeds have gathered at Fuji Park in South Carson City to participate in the Battle Born Ratacular Barn Hunt, presented by Revolution Dog Sports.

A 48 year-old Carson City woman was taken into custody Friday night at 7:25 p.m. in the 2000 block of College Parkway after allegedly injuring her boyfriend with a kitchen knife, a Carson City Sheriff's deputy said.

UPDATE 11:30AM: Acccording to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group web site provided by the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center, the Slinkard Fire has officially burned more than 7,880 acres and is currently about 20 percent contained at this hour.
More than 600 firefighting personnel are on scene, including 15 crews, four helicopters, 56 engines, two bulldozers, and 11 water tenders.
U.S. Highway 395 is reported to be open in both directions. However, both the Nevada and California highway patrols remain on scene to monitor the situation.
***
The Slinkard Fire near Topaz Lake has grown to about 9,000 acres in size, but firefighters have achieved at least 10 percent containment on the blaze as of about 9 a.m. Saturday morning, according updated reports from all three major television news stations in Reno.

Carson Tahoe Health is pleased to announce that its president and chief executive officer, Ed Epperson, has been honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement
Award as part of Nevada Business Magazine’s 2017 "Healthcare Heroes."

Those getting ready to turn 65 years of age will have the opportunity to learn from local experts at the "ABCs of Medicare" seminar held Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. at 911 Topsy Lane, Suite 230 in South Carson City.

I recently visited Port Gamble, Washington’s dahlia gardens.

Dahlias are gorgeous and are diverse in color, shape and size. I saw ruffled dahlias the color of blazing sunsets with tangerine outer edges and deep yellow centers.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Guard is set to host a memorial run/walk on Wednesday, Sept. 6, to commemorate the victims of the International House of Pancakes shooting that occurred in 2011.

Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called Friday afternoon to a single vehicle rollover in the area of Carson River Road and Camballeria Drive.

CARSON CITY — The crews aboard two Nevada Army Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters will begin firefighting efforts Friday at the Slinkard Fire at Topaz Lake near the Nevada and California state border.

On Tuesday, Sept. 5, Chili's Bar and Grill will donate 100 percent of profits from its restaurants nationwide, including Carson City, to the relief efforts of those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

A 33-year-old Carson City man and a current jail inmate was served Thursday with a Douglas County warrant alleging multiple counts of sexual crimes with a child under the age of 14, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Since opening its doors to students about four months ago, the Sierra Academy of Style (SAS) has started three class cycles and began accepting clients from the community, co-owner Anthony Gayner said.

A brush fire behind a house on Cabrolet Drive on the west side of Carson City was quickly knocked down by firefighters late Friday morning.

The fire was reported at around 11 a.m. in the 1200 block of Cabrolet and burned into brush and a fence, putting up smoke and flames before firefighters knocked it down. It was fully extinguished at 11:41 a.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Nevada Department of Transportation will begin a project Sept. 11 to enhance roadway drainage pipes on Kingsbury Grade, State Route 207.