Calaveras County Wildfire That Prompted Evacuation Orders Now 15% Contained, Cal Fire Says
CALAVERAS COUNTY (CBS13) – The latest on the Campo Fire in Calaveras County:
6:47 a.m.
Crews say there was minimal fire activity overnight, helping them shoot containment up to 15%.
Cal Fire says the fire is now at 160 acres, but work on increasing containment and strengthening firelines will continue on Friday.
Steep terrain remains a challenge for firefighters.
No updates on evacuation orders have been given yet.
Previous day's updates below:
A growing wildfire has forced mandatory evacuations in rural Calaveras County just north of Valley Springs.
As of 6 p.m., the Campo Fire was reported at 150 cares.
As of 4:30 p.m., the blaze was at 30 acres with 0% containment and growing at a "moderate rate" of speed, according to Cal Fire.
The evacuations were in place for Loera Hills Road, just south of where Watertown Road and Paloma Road meet.
Several resources were on the scene assisting in the firefight, including 12 fire engines, two helicopters, 2 air tankers, and three hand crews, with additional resources requested.
Kevin Bohall, of Cal Fire, said resources were ready and available to fight fire weeks ahead of schedule.
"We're probably about a month ahead of normal for the fuels that we're getting here," he said. "The fuels are dryer than normal and more conducive to burning and lower rainfall."
Bohall and others said there's concern the scary conditions could make for a brutal wildfire season.
"It's very early in the season and already we have a fire. It's kind of scary," said Valentino Passetti.
Passetti's family lives at the bottom of Loera Hills Rd.
"We have a couple of cats and a rabbit. Our neighbors have 14 or 16 cats. She also has about nine horses," said Passetti.
He said he wasn't nervous when agencies asked him to evacuate.
"I'll tell you what as soon as they said evacuation my first feeling was no because the fire was too far away," Passetti said.
Cal Fire told CBS13 they don't expect that fire to grow significantly overnight.
The public is advised to avoid the area. The cause of the is being investigated.