Updated 9:59 a.m. PDT July 7, 2022
Most of the 372-acre growth of the Electra Fire Wednesday was on the northeast side east of Clinton Bar Road, where crews conducted a firing operation. There was also growth on the southeast side in the Rich Gulch area near Highway 26.
Fire behavior moderated Wednesday night due to increased humidity. Several small spot fires were detected and mitigated with the support of intel platforms and one of the first uses of a CAL FIRE helicopter (C-101) conducting night-flying operations dropping water, using one of the new Firehawk ships.
The wind has been moderate since the Electra Fire started July 4. The prediction for Thursday is 6 to 10 mph winds out of the southwest in the afternoon, 86 degrees, and about 30 percent relative humidity.
Updated at 3:01 p.m. PDT July 6, 2022
The Electra fire 4 miles southeast of Jackson, California was not as active in the early portion of Wednesday afternoon as it was the previous two days. A satellite overflight at 1:39 p.m. only detected large heat sources on the northeast side southeast of Clinton Bar Road. There is no doubt there were many small heat sources scattered around the fire which could not be seen by the sensors on the satellite, but if it was vigorously spreading those areas would have shown up in the data.
Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. CAL FIRE announced changes regarding road closures and evacuation status.
AMADOR COUNTY
Evacuation Order Update: The Amador County Sheriff’s Office is removing the road closure at the intersection of Lower Clinton Road and Butte Mountain Road. The new road closure will be moved to the Upper Clinton Road and Butte Mountain intersection. All residents along Clinton Road and Butte Mountain Road within this area are clear to return home. The evacuation order for this area has been reduced to a warning. Visit www.bit.ly/AmadorCountyEvacMap for more information.
Evacuation Warning Update: The warning zone running east from Jackson, along Hwy 88 to Previtali Road has been removed. All existing Evacuation Orders and Warnings not listed above remain in effect.
Road Closures: Tabeaud Road southbound at Highway 88, Mount Zion Road southbound at Highway 88, Upper Clinton Road at Butte Mountain Road, Clinton Road at West Clinton Road, and Electra Road at Highway 49
CALAVERAS COUNTY
All evacuation orders, evacuation warnings, and road closures remain unchanged.
Entering the #ElectraFire burn area, we passed a hand crew getting a much-deserved nap in the dirt. #wildfire @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/yZD4MbGCAx
— Brandon Rittiman (@BrandonRittiman) July 5, 2022
9:37 a.m. PDT July 6, 2022
On Tuesday the Electra Fire four miles southeast of Jackson, California was not as active as it was on Monday, which allowed firefighters to make progress aided by numerous drops by air tankers and helicopters. Crews have been constructing direct fireline and burning out where possible, gaining containment, even though the official containment percentages are very low.
As of Tuesday night the 3,900-acre fire was almost entirely still within the footprint of the Butte Fire that burned more than 70,000 acres in September of 2015. It has burned both sides of the drainage along the Mokelumne River and reached but not crossed Highway 26 on the south side near Rich Gulch.
To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Electra Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.
The most recent growth of the Electra Fire has been on the north and northeast sides, where firefighters are working to protect homes near Quail Drive and Clinton Bar Road. Where possible they are taking advantage of firelines used during the Butte Fire, firing out or backfiring from those areas.
The Amador County Sheriff’s office has created an online map showing the areas under evacuation orders.
Resources on the fire Tuesday included 200 fire engines, 26 water tenders, 7 helicopters and 41 dozers for a total of 1,334 personnel.
The weather forecast for Wednesday calls for skies clearing in the afternoon, 84 degrees, 40 percent relative humidity, and 5-10 mph afternoon winds out of the southwest and west gusting to 15.
Two CAL FIRE firefighters, Emily Eymann and Jessica Moser, rescued a pair of dogs, loading them into a US Forest Service truck for evacuation as the Electra Fire approached.
DOGS RESCUED FROM ELECTRA FIRE: Firefighters rescued two Fawn Dobermans from a property on Canyon View Drive in Amador County as ? quickly approached the area. The dogs, while scared, were unharmed and given water. Animal control picked up the pair and took them to safety. pic.twitter.com/g6nC9vh5MY
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) July 5, 2022
See, you can go direct (mostly, it sounds like), you don’t have to make a 3000 acre fire into a 30,000 acre fire (or more). I know, conditions are different on every fire, but nice to see they’re going direct where they can.
How might this fire relate to the Richard Minnich thesis/theory about fuel-driven fires?