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171
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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 171 • Issue 108 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, September 16, 2022
Supervisors respond to grand jury Noel Stack Managing editor Praising the efforts of El Dorado County Grand Jury members while criticizing some of the latest report’s findings, Tuesday the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved a draft response to the 2021-22 document. The board is required by law to submit a grand jury report response to the presiding judge no later than Sept. 28, this time addressing four topics investigated — county employee time keeping, county staffing challenges, using local motels for emergency housing and vegetation management/defensible space. Most at issue, the supervisors expressed frustration with the grand jury’s report regarding the El Dorado County Vegetation Management Ordinance, with the report alleging the county “lacked expertise and adequate resources to meet the objectives of the ordinance” and has “no comprehensive county plan to implement Ordinance 5101, which includes defensible space inspections.” The county’s response “disagrees wholly” with both findings as well as the allegation the county isn’t enforcing its ordinance. District 4 Supervisor and board Chair Lori Parlin chalked up the findings as the result of negative public perception. She and PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
other supervisors also questioned the grand jury recommendation that all county properties that violate the ordinance be cleared by June 30, 2023. “That shows that there is not an understanding of just how large and rural our county is,” said District 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel. “We’ve been working with the conservancy in Tahoe and we’re just looking at lots — a couple thousand lots. We can’t keep up because, as you know, once you clear vegetation … it grows back. “It’s a constant battle,” Novasel continued. “It’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge.” District 3 Supervisor Wendy Thomas pointed out that El Dorado County covers roughly 1,800 square miles and said in the two years since the ordinance was adopted the county has made tremendous progress. She also noted that during a recent call with the state’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force the county received praise for its efforts, quoting the state program director who said, “El Dorado County is ahead of the curve.” “I was just frustrated by the Grand Jury’s conflation of our Vegetation Management Ordinance and our new Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience,” Thomas added. “Everyone involved has done an incredible job getting up and running in a very short time frame.” Staff wrote in the report response, “It is important to note that the scope of the plan with which the Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience encompasses much more than the Vegetation Management program.” The supervisors also committed to helping residents at risk of losing their insurance or facing huge cost increases. They agreed with the grand jury recommendation to send a letter to the n
See grand jury, page A7
Photos courtesy of Cal Fire
Cal Fire firefighters conduct firing operations on the Mosquito Fire. In areas of dense fire fuels on Mosquito’s eastern perimeter crews are setting fire ahead of the blaze.
How far east will the Mosquito Fire fly? Krysten Kellum Editor As control lines hold near populated areas, the plan out of Mosquito Fire incident
command is to slow the blaze’s eastward growth, hopefully well ahead of Loon Lake and the Rubicon Trail. Across the “entire” eastern front
A 10 Tanker DC-10 drops retardant over the Mosquito Fire, which grew more active in the Todd Valley area Tuesday.
firefighters face active flames, reported California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 Operations Section Chief Dave Soldivini at Wednesday evening’s community briefing on the Mosquito Fire. To slow Mosquito’s spread to the northeast, crews are creating fire breaks wider than any dozer could cut using tactical firing operations, according to Soldivini. The hope is flames will lose their momentum and stay south of Foresthill Road. Firefighting strategy would then
drive the blaze around to Rubicon Flat and south to French Meadows Reservoir. Below French Meadows Soldivini noted “one of the biggest obstacles” — the upper North Fork and Middle Fork of the American River. He called it “steep, rocky, nasty terrain.” Firefighters are looking for opportunities to bring control lines to the south side of the river and then tie in with containment at the Rubicon River on Mosquito’s southern perimeter. n
See mosquito, page A6
Aerial firefight day and night Krysten Kellum Editor Drones have joined the aerial fleet fighting the Mosquito Fire. DC-10 tankers, super scoopers, helicopters and now unmanned aircraft support fire crews on the ground. Mosquito Fire Air Operations lead Ira Graves gave a rundown Wednesday afternoon from incident command of aerial operations on the Mosquito Fire. Six drones were working the fire Wednesday, using infrared camera technology to identify heat signatures firefighters “can’t see with the naked eye” and the aircraft are also flown ahead of crews to scout over ridges. While drones as well as helicopters are capable of and have been used for aerial ignition operations on other fires, there have been no such operations of yet on the Mosquito Fire. Graves said his fleet is looking for opportunities to
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Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
At least six drones are working the Mosquito Fire to help firefighters “see” better. drop water and retardant to “corral” the fire’s active fronts near Foresthill, Stumpy Meadows Reservoir and Westville. n
See Air tactics, page A5
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