State Christmas tree hails from El Dorado County

The state Christmas tree will roll from downtown Placerville this morning to Sacramento.

The nearly 60-foot Douglas fir is from El Dorado County.

CalFire crews load this year's state Christmas tree. Photo/Teresa Mizuhara/CalFire

CalFire and California Highway Patrol units will help transport the tree starting at 8am.

“Over the years this event has drawn attention to both the beauty and diversity of the forested landscapes found in El Dorado County,” CalFire Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Kelly Keenan said in a statement. “Soon families will flock to find and cut their own Christmas tree at one of the local tree farms.”

The tree will be lighted Dec. 7 at 4:45pm.

It will be decorated with 900 handcrafted ornaments created by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers. It will be illuminated by 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report