Since starting Tuesday, September 6th, the Mosquito Fire in Placer County has ballooned to epic proportions. Not only did it double its size overnight Friday, but it continued to grow and smoke and cause evacuations at an alarming pace throughout the weekend.
By Sunday morning, the fire, which was recorded Friday at around 14,000 acres, had grown to over 41,000 acres in size — quickly and irrefutably becoming CA’s largest blaze this wildfire season. Skies continued to orange in nearby counties; the “volcano-like plumes” went on fluffing the atmosphere; people hastily gathered their entire lives and fled to an ever-growing list of evacuation centers.
#MosquitoFire near Oxbow Reservoir, east of Forest Hill in Placer County is 46,587 acres and 10%. In Unified Command with @CALFIRENEU, @CALFIREAEU, @Tahoe_NF, @PlacerSheriff and Foresthill Fire Protection District.https://t.co/Gb4QZa8XVJ pic.twitter.com/ZE0d9ytoOl
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) September 12, 2022
As of Monday morning, the Mosquito Fire has now swallowed 46,587 acres of drought-stricken forests and urban land. Containment is currently at 10% with firefighters working around the clock to shore up that figure, all while contending with the area’s tough terrain, hotter than usual weather, and “historically dry fuel moisture” that has helped the fire explode in size.
“Despite cooler temperatures, the historically dry fuel moisture in the vegetation continues driving the fire’s growth,” reads an update from CAL FIRE posted today. “On Sunday, the fire made a run to the northeast in the drainage between Foresthill Road and Deadwood Road. Firefighters have been building in-direct control lines and when necessary utilizing strategic firing operations to stay ahead of the fire on this corner.”
The Mosquito’s bombastic growth exists as a somber reminder that the climate crisis is changing Northern California (and the entire state) in real-time; the vast majority of CA wildfires recorded each year continue to be the result of human activity.
Though 2022’s wildfire season isn’t expected to be as severe as the prior two years, it’s no less concerning how much human-facilitated climate change is fueling our dystopian future — one that we can see happening thousands of free above the ocean.
Climate catastrophes aside, what else transpired over the weekend? Let’s take a quick run-through to catch up.
- Did you feel that earthquake in the East Bay? A 2.9-magnitude earthquake rattled piedmont last night, causing a ruckus on Earthquake Twitter and producing shock waves capable of being felt across the SF Bay in San Francisco. More info
- BART celebrated its 50th birthday on Saturday. It was a bash punctuated with themed cakes, time capsules, and family-friendly fun. More info
- Arinell Pizza closed its Valencia store over the weekend. *insert all the frowny-face emojis.* More info
- Also in food news: Pastel is shuttering its operations. The pandemic-born food delivery service that had become synonymous with ordering phenomenal baked goods announced it will shut down at the end of this month. More info
- SF police arrested a suspect in the deadly stabbing that happened at BART’s 24th Street Station in San Francisco on August 28. 42-year-old Richard Henry Visor was taken into custody by the SFPD on Friday, according to BART. More info
Feature image: Courtesy of Twitter via @moultano
