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C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Volume 170 • Issue 102 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, August 30, 2021
Therapy dogs wag their way into base camp
Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
The Caldor Fire burns near Wright’s Lake Road north of Highway 50 near Kyburz Thursday.
Firefighters say control lines starting to hold Lauren Keene Davis Enterprise staff writer Despite a fresh round of evacuation orders and warnings, Cal Fire struck a positive note Thursday in its battle against the more than two-week-old Caldor Fire. Operations Section Chief Cody Bogan said crews achieved success in holding the fire lines, particularly on the west side of the blaze as well as along the Highway 50 corridor, where the main spread was along the north side of the highway near the Strawberry community. Up-canyon winds triggered several spot fires on the fire’s east side, but for the most part the fire has stayed within the main bulldozer lines plowed to slow the incident’s reach. “The crews are making good progress right now, and we’re getting around those spots,” Bogan said Thursday during Cal Fire’s daily online briefing. The northeast edge of fire was the most active overnight Thursday. Firefighters saw short-range spotting and new ignitions within control lines. Crews also continued with firing operations to strengthen control lines. The wildland blaze, which began Aug. 14 near the Grizzly Flat community, burned 143,951 acres as of 7 a.m. Friday and stood at 12% containment. More than 3,000 air and ground crews remain assigned to the incident. Earlier Thursday, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department ordered a new round of evacuations from Twin Bridges to the Echo Summit, both north and south of Highway 50. Previous orders affected residents from Highway 50 south to the Amador/ Alpine county lines and Highway 50 north to Flag Pole Peak. Meanwhile, communities between the Echo Summit and Highway 89 now lie under an evacuation warning. “We suggest you make use of that time,” sheriff’s Sgt. Eric Palmberg said during Thursday’s briefing. That means gathering clothing, medications and other essential items, as well as making a plan for animals in need of care. Residents in need of transportation should make arrangements with family, friends or neighbors, or call 911 for assistance. “We will do what we can to get you out safely,” n
See Control lines, page A7
T
he unified command base camp at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds has had some very special visitors over the last week. Bright-eyed and tails wagging, Max, Grizzle, Willow, Jack and Sadie are among the teams of therapy dogs who visit the Caldor Fire base camp almost daily to meet and greet firefighters and first responders who have been fighting the massive blaze. “It reminds me of the dogs at home,” said Jennifer House with the U.S. Forest Service as she gave tummy rubs to Willow the goldendoodle. Betsy Crisp of Foothill Therapy Dogs is no stranger to fire camps. She has been to basecamps on a number of wildfires over the years, including the 2014 King Fire in El Dorado County and the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte. Wendy Goossen of Images of Hope started a therapy dog program at Marshall Hospital that led her to connect with Crisp a number of years ago. Goossen’s dog Max the Australian Labradooodle provides canine therapy in many settings across El Dorado County and the next, natural step was to provide canine therapy to hardworking first responders. The therapy dogs deliver smiles to base camp each morning for two hours while crews prepare for another day on the fire lines.
Mountain Democrat photo by Andrew Vonderschmitt
Jackie Baker and Jack the Labradoodle get a big grin out of a firefighter at the Caldor Fire base camp Thursday morning. Jackie and Jack are part of the therapy dog team that each morning visits personnel stationed at the base camp at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville where crews enlisted in the effort to contain the massive forest Caldor Fire are stationed.
Willow the goldendoodle brings therapeutic tummy rubs to Jennifer House with the U.S. Forest Service and Ann Brown with the Bureau of Land Management at the Caldor Fire base camp.
n see more photos on page A8
EID begins flume fire damage assessment News release Earlier this week, with fire officials’ authorization, EID PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
personnel began initial damage assessments to limited portions of its flume and canal system where safe access is possible. That assessment confirmed at least three flumes have suffered significant damage and multiple others still remain at risk. A full damage assessment and restoration plan will be ongoing in the coming days after fire officials determine the fire threat in the area has been fully mitigated. These sections of EID’s canal and flume system are located 24 miles east of Placerville, perched on steep, hard-to-access terrain along the south side of Highway 50. EID’s
Photo courtesy of EID
Among the three El Dorado Irrigation District flumes that have so far been identified as damaged by the Caldor Fire is Flume 4, pictured, as well as flumes 5 and 6. 22-mile-long Project 184 system has a mixture of above ground flumes and in-ground
concrete canals. Some flume sections, especially those rebuilt in recent years as part
of the district’s ongoing capital improvement program, are made of concrete. Many older
flumes, however, are made of wood. The flume sections that burned include the 400-foot-long Flume 4, the 179-foot-long Flume 5 and the 146-foot-long Flume 6. “The loss of these flume sections represents a heavy impact that we are moving immediately to address,” said EID General Manager Jim Abercrombie. “I want our customers and community to understand that we will not run out of water. EID’s water system is an integrated, interconnected system that allows us to make operational changes to n
See Flumes page A3
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