FORESTHILL - A storm headed for northern California may have mixed blessings for firefighters.

Crews battling the Mosquito Fire anticipate rain but also gusty winds that could induce more dangerous fire behavior. Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service officials in a Friday update reported the Mosquito Fire at 109 square miles.

National Weather Service forecasts call for rain in interior Northern California starting Saturday evening and continuing through Tuesday. Parts of the Sierra Nevada foothills could see up to an inch of rain. But forecasters expect the wind, coming in from the southwest, to arrive a bit earlier: gusts around 30 mph could develop near the Mosquito Fire.

“Firefighters will welcome precipitation, but the stronger winds have the potential to cast embers farther out in front of the fire,” fire officials wrote in the latest incident report.

The Mosquito Fire, which ignited Sept. 6 near the Oxbow Reservoir and is now California’s largest of 2022. It’s burning in the foothills east of Sacramento, where more than 11,000 residents remain displaced. It is burning in steep terrain that includes numerous river drainages.

The Placer County towns of Foresthill and Todd Valley, as well as the El Dorado County towns of Georgetown, Volcanoville and Quintette, have all now been under mandatory evacuation orders for more than a week.

Story Date: September 20, 2022