Crews Battle Tough Conditions In Kyburz Fire
EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — The Kyburz Fire burned about 100 acres in steep terrain off of Highway 50 in El Dorado County and is only 5 percent contained.
A CBS13 viewer captured a blanket of smoke and flames swallowing Highway 50 near Kyburz. Part of the westbound lane was later lined with crime scene tape and a truck being towed away. Investigators would not say it it's the same vehicle related to early reports of a car fire in the area.
More than 200 firefighters quickly moved in on the ground and by air, armed with buckets, hoses and chain saws.
"I think the forward progress has pretty much stopped on the north end of the highway. On the south side, that's the biggest concern," said. Jon Clanin with the El Dorado National Forest Service.
It's a concern that mixes steep terrain, dry fuel and unpredictable winds.
"You get a wind on that, it's just going to be ten-fold. With that fire behavior. And that's what we see here in this canyon of the 50 corridor all the time," he said.
There are a number of trouble spots firefighters have been focusing their efforts on. One of them happens to be this area right here these power lines. You can see those lines fully intact right there, but if you make your way down this hill, this is actually somebody's driveway; you can see just how close some of these flames are getting to those power lines.
As heavy smoke forced the California Highway Patrol to close Highway 50 in both directions, Caltrans crews turned people away at Sly Park Road and Meyers while mandatory evacuations were put in place.