Mosquito Fire: Crews prepare for high winds ahead of rainstorm
PLACER COUNTY — Fire crews are paying close attention to this weekend's weather forecast as they continue to battle flames on the front line of the Mosquito fire.
This comes as hundreds of residents have spent more than a week at evacuation centers.
"I'm really hoping to count on it. Hopefully, it'll knock it down far enough," evacuee from El Dorado county, William Faulkner said.
CAL FIRE officials say any kind of moisture is good for firefighting efforts but crews are expecting winds up to 20-miles per hour.
"When you have wind like that, you have erratic fire behavior," Scott McLain with CAL FIRE said.
On Friday, crews spent much of the day preparing for high winds by strengthening the fireline and suppressing hot spots.
While rain will help slow the spread, too much rain can be dangerous for crews and detrimental to the fire-fight.
"We don't want the rain to dump all at once. That is something that is very serious," McLain said.
Too much rain at once can cause landslides which can put fire crews at risk. Roads and firelines may also become too muddy and washed-out for engines and bulldozers to get through.
Meanwhile, CAL FIRE says another flare-up is possible even after the possible rain this weekend. Tuesday's flare-up is a reminder of why evacuation orders are still in effect.
"The way that fire developed in that drainage to the lower end of Foresthill, that is why folks are evacuated originally, that's why folks aren't allowed back in. There is potential risk throughout the fire area," McLain said.
