Amador County – California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Amador-El Dorado Unit announced Monday that all fires in the “El Dorado Complex of Fires” have been contained.

CDF Incident Commander Brian Estes said all fires that began during last Wednesday’s “wind event” have “been contained and controlled but Cal-Fire is closely watching the severe wind storm predicted for Tuesday. We have pre-positioned additional Cal-Fire equipment in strategic locations in the event the winds do cause fires.” That includes 10 fire engines and four Type 1 Handcrews from across the state.

Estes said: “We did what we do best, taking aggressive action to lessen the damage to life and property. We are very proud of the work everyone did, especially in the early hours of the incident, working side by side with local fire agencies.”

He also wanted to “warn everyone that these burned areas pose a very serious hazard because fire and wind weakened trees can snap out and fall to the ground with little or no warning. On Wednesday a 35-year-old man was killed instantly in Big Sur when a tree fell on top of him.”

Stump holes, that is, “stumps that have been burning underground” also “can pose another very real danger in an area that has been burned because the surface of the stump can be covered with dirt or ash,” Estes said. “These stump holes can have temperatures in excess of 700 degrees Fahrenheit, and can cause third degree burns almost immediately.”

Residents should also be aware that they may smell or see smoke over the next several weeks due to smoldering vegetation within fire control lines. Estes said this is normal and should not be a cause for alarm.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.