King Fire 55% contained, flooding a threat

A sign thanking firefighters is on both sides of the main overpass across Highway 50 in Placerville. Photo/LTN

Updated 6:14pm:

While the rain is welcome, it could also pose flooding risks to burned areas from the King Fire.

El Dorado County officials say they have contingency plans in place to deal with flooding issues. As of this time, there have been no reports from the field of flooding, mudslides, or debris flows in the fire area.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a flash flood warning for the area until 6:15pm. The area that burned the hottest is of most concern, including the south and middle forks of the American river and the Rubicon River basin.

Firefighters are gaining on the wildfire burning east of Pollock Pines, with it now being 55 percent contained and 95,347 acres burned.

The system that came through Sept. 25 brought between 0.06 and 0.09 inches of rain to the Eldorado National Forest, where the bulk of the fire has burned. It is also burning in the Tahoe National Forest in Placer County.

With the fire moving out of populated areas, the threat to structures is down to 289 and the number of people still evacuated is at 694. Mandatory evacuations for Quintette and Volcanoville have been changed to voluntary.

People returning to their homes are finding a burned landscape and 12 of their neighbors without homes. Another 57 structures have been lost in the fire that allegedly was started by an arsonist on Sept. 13.

More than 8,000 firefighters are working the fire. Six people have been injured.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report