Written By: Amanda Angulo
El Dorado County is suffering at the hands of the Caldor Fire as a result of Newsom’s incompetence throughout his gubernatorial term.
Many in the area are trying to protect the structures of the community after the fire crossed over Highway 50, putting several homes and businesses at risk. Due to this, a 40 mile stretch between Sky Park and Myers has remained closed. Residents were able to travel on the highway but had to show identification and proof of residency.
On Sunday, the U.S. Forest Service stated that they would focus on keeping the Caldor Fire east of Sly Park and communities, which is expected to last for the next few days.
Cal Fire had also announced on Sunday that they would not be reopening Highway 50 due to the threat of the fire and its slow growth. The Caldor Fire has already destroyed over 300 structures, and 13,114 are at risk. Crews of over 1,600 people are working hard to keep the fire south of the highway.
According to Cal Fire, two people were seriously injured by the blaze on Tuesday. Both victims were staying at the Grizzly Flats area, which was, unfortunately, the community that nearly got destroyed.
On Aug. 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in El Dorado County. That was nearly a week ago. When he took office, such measures should have been foreseeable where a state of emergency should not be necessary. After putting communities at risk of fires on the backburner, Newsom is starting to feel the heat coming from the Sept. 14 recall election.
By declaring a state of emergency, the state can pull from federal funds to fight the fire. Recently, California has requested federal help to fight wildfires in Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Tehama, and Trinity County.
Thus far, 41,000 people have been evacuated, and 24,000 of those evacuees are residents of El Dorado County alone, according to Cal OES.
Photo by Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
