Electra Fire 99% Contained, But Return Of Hot Weather Will Mean More Smoke

JACKSON (CBS13) -- The latest information on the Electra Fire burning near the Amador and Calaveras county lines:

12 p.m.

Cal Fire is warning that there is a potential for increased fire activity in the Electra Fire incident this weekend.

The wildfire is now 99% contained as of Friday, but the return of triple-digit temperatures has firefighters concerned.

Islands of brush that are still smoldering in the canyon could flare up and produce more smoke, Cal Fire says.

While Cal Fire says they still have resources at the scene to prevent the fire from breaking out of the control lines, the area where there is still an active fire is deep within the fire perimeter.

The fire has burned a total of 4,478 acres.

All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted earlier this week.

Previous updates below:

July 10

7:15 p.m.

Cal Fire says that the Electra Fire is now 85% contained.

Fire crews are working amid hot and dry conditions to maintain control lines while continuing to suppress the fire, which has covered approximately 4,478 acres.

7:58 p.m.

Firefighters inched closer to fully containing the Electra Fire with containment bumped up to 80%. There was no change in the total acreage burned.

Cal Fire said more than 430 structures remain threatened.

4:00 p.m.

Cal Fire announced Saturday afternoon that all mandatory evacuations in Amador and Calaveras counties were lifted and downgraded to warnings. The only evacuated areas are within the fire perimeter.

Roadblocks at Clinton Bar and Gold Strike roads were also removed.

7:25 p.m.

Minimal fire activity is expected Saturday, according to fire officials who said smoke in the area has diminished due to fire suppression efforts.

Acreage remains at 4,478 acres with containment growing slightly overnight to 72%. More than 435 structures remain threatened.

Full containment is expected July 16, according to Cal Fire.

Previous day's (July 8) updates below: 

7:30 p.m.

Cal Fire said the blaze grew slightly to 4,478 acres while containment jumped again to 70%.

More than 430 structures remain threatened.

2:52 p.m.

12:33 p.m.

Cal Fire says that containment of the Electra Fire has risen to 65%. Smoke is expected to impact the Sierra and foothills today and tomorrow.

Previous day's (July 7) updates below: 

9:36 p.m.

Cal Fire said containment of the Electra Fire jumped to 60% over the course of the day while the total acreage burned remained at 4,272.

Nearly 900 structures remain threatened by the fire.

Cal Fire said increased smoke activity is to be expected in the areas north of Robinson Ranch at the intersection of Highway 26 and Ponderosa Road as previously unburned vegetation is expected to catch fire. Though, state fire officials said they do nnot expect any major issues to come of that.

7:41 a.m.

After Wednesday night's significant jump in containment of the Electra Fire, that number has stayed the same as of Thursday morning. 

Cal Fire reports that containment stands a 40%. The size has now grown to 4,272 acres. 

Firefighters say the incident's behavior moderated overnight as humidity increased. 

Work on strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots will continue on Thursday. 

Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect in both Amador and Calaveras counties.  

Previous day's (July 6) updates below: 

9 p.m.

Acreage and containment remained steady from the afternoon, Cal Fire said a press conference. There has been no reported damage to structures.

The Amador County sheriff said residents were able to return home to the area of the Butte Mountain Road corridor to the Clinton Road intersection.

Two people were arrested and booked into the Amador County Jail after being found in evacuation zones, the sheriff said.

The Amador and Calaveras County sheriff's offices both said law enforcement officials would remain in the evacuated areas.

4:50 p.m.

The Electra Fire has grown to 4,112 acres in size, though containment has significantly jumped to 40%, Cal Fire said. Additionally, Cal Fire said 17% of the fire was controlled, meaning there were no longer any hotspots or smoke activity within that area.

Pacific Gas and Electric also said it made significant progress with power outages affecting those in the area of the fire. The number of PG&E customers without power dropped from approximately 8,000 to approximately 2,300 in parts of Amador and Calaveras counties.

2:33 p.m.

Some evacuation orders in Amador County are now being reduced to a warning.

Cal fire says residents along Clinton Road and Butte Mountain Road are now clear to return home. Further, the road closure of Lower Clinton Road and Butte Mountain Road is also being removed.

The evacuation warning zone east from Jackson along Highway 88 to Preitali Road has also now been removed.

All orders, warnings and road closures previously announced in Calaveras County remain in effect.

7:36 a.m.

Firefighters have continued to gain ground against the Electra Fire overnight into Wednesday.

Cal Fire reports that the fire remains 3,900 acres in size, but containment is now up to 10%. Further, Cal Fire says they expect full containment by July 18.

Crews report that humidity recovery in the early morning hours helped quell fire activity.

Firefighters will be working on strengthening control lines on Wednesday.

Previous day's (July 5) updates below: 

9:45 p.m.

State officials said the Electra Fire had grown to more than 3,900 acres in size — a nearly 900-acre jump from Tuesday morning.

Despite the growth, firefighters were able to make progress by gaining 5% containment on the blaze, according to the Cal Fire.

More than 1,200 structures remain threatened by the fire. So far, no structures have been destroyed.

One firefighter has been injured, Cal Fire said.

6:22 p.m.

Two locations in Calaveras County are acting as evacuation camping sites for those impacted by the Electra Fire.

One site is located at the county fairgrounds at 2465 Gun Club Road in Angels Camp. The other is located at the Camanche South Shore Recreation Area at 11700 Wade Lane in Valley Springs.

The county Office of Emergency Services emphasized that the sites are not shelters and there was no indoor space available. Space is available for those with RVs, tents, trailers or vehicles. Pets are welcome.

1:21 p.m.

Mandatory evacuation and evacuation warning zones have now been expanded, the Amador County Sheriff's Office says.

Residents are being told to refer to this map. People can also enter their address in this website to see if it falls inside the order or warning zones.

In Calaveras County, evacuation warnings are now being issued for the following zones: 353, 354, 342, 343, 328, 329, and 330.

Road closures are also in effect throughout the area. The following intersections are closed: Highway 88 at Tabeau Road, Highway 88 at Mount Zion Road, Clinton Road at Butte Mountain Road, Clinton Road at Amador Lane, Clinton Road at West Clinton Road

10 a.m.

PG&E says about 15,000 customers are still without power in parts of Amador and Calaveras counties as of Tuesday morning. Crews preemptively de-energized several distribution lines at the request of Cal Fire.

The utility company also says they have a number of assets possibly at-risk due to the Electra Fire.

7:57 a.m.

Cal Fire says the Electra Fire has grown to 3,034 acres as of Tuesday morning.

Firefighters said in their morning situation update that there continues to be a threat to critical power infrastructure in the area.

The rugged terrain of the area also continues to complicate the fire fight. Containment still stands at 0% and no date of expected full containment has been given by Cal Fire.

Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place.

Previous day's (July 5) updates below: 

After being stranded in a PG&E powerplant for hours, roughly 100 people were evacuated to safety late Monday as crews continue to battle the Electra Fire, which is burning in the Sierra foothills along the Amador and Calaveras county line. According to fire officials, the wildfire is not contained and is moving toward Calaveras County.

The Amador County Sheriff's Office says the fire started in the afternoon near Vox Beach, a recreation area on Electra Road, a few miles southeast of Jackson. A deputy quickly evacuated the roughly 100 people at beach, bringing them to a nearby hydroelectric powerhouse along the North Fork Mokelumne River. A worker at the powerhouse let them inside, and PG&E provided the people with shelter and water.

(credit: CAL FIRE)

John Sullivan, who was inside the powerhouse, told CBS13 over the phone that he was at the beach with his wife and children celebrating the Fourth of July holiday when they saw what looked like a bonfire get out of control. While people tried to leave, the fire blocked the road out, and a deputy on the scene evacuated them to the power plant.

Sullivan said fire officials planned to let the fire pass before letting people leave the power plant, but the road became blocked by fire equipment and fallen trees. Still, those inside the plant remained hopeful they'd soon return home, even as nightfall approached.

Around 11 p.m., everyone inside the powerplant had been escorted to safety, according to PG&E officials. Meanwhile, the fire had consumed roughly 1,000 acres and jumped over the river into Calaveras County. While more than 100 buildings were threatened by the flames, none had yet been lost. Evacuation orders were issued on both sides of the river.

On the Amador County side, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the area of Butte Mountain Road, as well as for a two-mile radius around Lake Tabeau, affecting several roads, such as Amador Lane, Fig Tree Lane, Ponderosa Way, Clinton Road, and Tabeau Road. In Calaveras County, an evacuation order was issued for areas northeast of Mokelumne Hill.

(credit: CBS)

The American Red Cross has set up two shelters: one in Calaveras County inside San Andreas Town Hall, and another in Amador County at the Italian Picnic Grounds in Sutter Creek. People with animals in Amador County can take them to Laughton Ranch in Jackson, officials say.

CAL FIRE says crews will battle the fire overnight. Currently, the fire is tracking toward Calaveras County, and weather conditions are dry with winds around 10 mph.

"We're hoping to make good progress overnight with our engines, crews and dozers," said Jed Gaines, a CAL FIRE battalion chief. "We'll be working through the night to do what we can to get this thing extinguished."

Earlier in the evening, crews were cutting fire lines while planes dropped retardant in the area. An update on the fire is slated to be given at 7 a.m. Tuesday.