Caldor Fire rages to over 50K acres as more evacuation warnings are issued

Note: Scroll down for current evacuation orders in place Firefighters in El Dorado County continue to work in conditions that have been described by many as apocalyptic as the Caldor Fire continues to rage, devastating communities and threatening others in its path. The Caldor Fire has exploded in size over the last three days, after igniting Saturday near Little Mountain between the rural communities of Omo Ranch and Grizzly Flats. Now, the blaze that started in the far region of the county is having an effect on residents and resources countywide and beyond. As of press time Wednesday, the fire had reportedly burned an estimated 53,772 acres, according to CAL FIRE. At that same time, there was still no containment around the fire that has displaced more than 6,800 residents, destroyed numerous structures and continues to prompt evacuations in multiple directions of El Dorado County. As of Wednesday morning, the newest evacuation orders have added the community of Kyburz to the long list of areas that have been ordered to vacate. Initially, the Grizzly Flats community was evacuated, then such orders expanded to a 1.5-mile radius of the fire, including nearby areas such as Somerset, PiPi Valley, Happy Valley and others that neighbor the Grizzly Flats community that is home to approximately 1,200 residents. By Wednesday, evacuations had expanded all the way to locations north of Highway 50, including communities as far north from its origin as Morman Emigrant Trail, Sly Park, Pollock Pines, Ice House, portions of Camino and others as crews scurry to try to prevent the fire from crossing the highway. As of Tuesday afternoon, Cal Fire reported that 86 structures had been confirmed destroyed. On Wednesday, nearly 6,000 structures were threatened. Some of the visible devastation is in the Grizzly Flats area, where entire neighborhoods have been reduced to mere ashes. Among a few of the notable structures in that community that have been destroyed include Walt Tyler Elementary School, the community Post Office and the Grizzly Flats Community Church. Two civilians have reportedly been injured in the fire thus far. Both victims were initially tended to by firefighters and then airlifted out of the area to area hospitals where the extent of their injuries is unknown. "We know this fire has done things that nobody could have predicted, but that's how firefighting has been in the state this year," said El Dorado National Forest Supervisor Chief Jeff Marsolais. Deputies with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office are now patrolling several of the evacuated communities, after receiving several reports of looting, despite the dangerous conditions. Strong winds are partly responsible for the fire's growth to more than twice its size over 24 hours. CAL FIRE has repeatedly described the nature of the blaze as being subject to "unprecedented fire behavior" fed by "extremely dry fuels,'' along with southwest winds. A red flag warning was in effect for the area through Wednesday evening, when the winds were expected to decrease and shift directions. "These winds, combined with low humidity and extremely dry fuels, lead to critical fire weather conditions," CAL FIRE said in its Wednesday morning incident report. More than 200 personnel are fighting the blaze. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in El Dorado County. With declaring a state of emergency, the state can access federal funds to help battle the blaze. Traffic in many areas of El Dorado is heavily impacted by the ongoing evacuations as residents flee their homes with whatever they can grab. On Highway 50, many off and on ramps have been closed off to allow all traffic signals on the highway to be locked green to allow traffic flow. Shelters have been set up in multiple areas of El Dorado County. The Diamond Springs Fire Hall shelter quickly filled to capacity, prompting officials to open additional shelters at the Cameron Park Community Services District. Green Valley Church in Placerville and several area churches are also offering shelter space. The El Dorado County Fairgrounds closed and was transformed into a regional fire camp and command center. Events scheduled in the coming week for the facility have been cancelled. For fire updates and a complete list of evacuations follow our coverage at www.folsomtelegraph.com. Evacuation information El Dorado and Amador County as of August 19, 9:00 am El Dorado County South of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road. This includes the community of Kyburz.North of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road to include Ice House Reservoir, Union Valley Reservoir, and Loon Lake. Grizzly Flat: The areas on Grizzly Flats Road east of Kendra Way into GrizzlyFlats Proper. The areas of Diamond Railroad Grade, Old School House,Sweeney Road, Caldor Road, and Steely Ridge.Grizzly Flats Road east of four corners in Somerset into Grizzly Flats Proper.The areas of Myers Lane, Varmet Ridge Road, Rodwell Canyon Road,Snowbird Lane, and Mehwald Lane.East of Sly Park Road between Highway 50 and Mormon Emigrant Trail to IceHouse Road. This includes the communities of Pacific House and Fresh Pond.North of Highway 50, east of Forebay Road to Ice House Road.Intersection of Perry Creek and Hawk Haven, the East side of Fairplay Roadfrom Perry Creek South to Cedarville Road. This includes Slug Gulch, OmoRanch, and all roads off of Slug Gulch and Omo Ranch. All roads off of Omo Ranch from Cedarville Road to Highway 88.The area between Highway 88 and Mormon Emigrant TrailSouth of Highway 50 from Snows Road to Ice House Road.Between Highway 50 and Slab Creek from Snows Road to Ice House Road. Amador County - Evacuation warnings • Shenandoah Road at the Amador County line west through the River Pines community, continuing west on Shenandoah Road to Ostrom Road • South on Ostrom Road to Jibboom Street, west on Jibboom Street to Fiddletown Road • East on Fiddletown Road to Hale Road • South on Hale Road to Shake Ridge Road • East on Shake Ridge Road to Charleston Road • South of Charleston Road to the intersection of Charleston Road and Rams Horn Grade • Due east to Highway 88 at Tiger Creek Road • Tiger Creek Road east to Salt Springs Reservoir Road • East on Salt Springs Reservoir Road to the east end of the Salt Springs Reservoir • Due north from the east end of Salt Springs Reservoir to Highway 88