6 months ago
AUBURN, CA - Evacuations remain in place for a number of streets in Auburn due to the 49er Fire.
The wildfire, which broke out Sunday afternoon, has destroyed or damaged 60 homes and businesses. The fire reamins at 50 percetn containment with more than 600 fire personnel assigned to it.
The wildfire started near Highway 49 and Quartz Drive south of the Auburn Airport around 2:20 p.m. Sunday and had burned 275 acres as of late Monday morning, acording to Cal Fire That number was down significantly from earlier estimates of between 500 and 700 acres.
One northbound lane of Highway 49 will remain closed until further notice, officials say.
Total containment was not expected until Tuesday morning, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
"The fire has died down somewhat," Berlant said. "We do think (the line) is going to hold the fire in that area, but there's still a lot of work to be done."
VIDEO: 84 Lumber, Auburn businesses burn; 8/30/09, 5 p.m.
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SEND YOUR PHOTOS: Send us your Auburn fire pictures here
Berlant said the strong winds pushed the flames and threw embers as far as a mile past the fire's front lines. Berlant said there were no immediate reports of injuries connected to the fire.
Nearly 500 firefighters battled the fire, including 50 fire engines, eight air tankers and six helicopters, Berlant said. Firefighters were expected to remain throughout the night Sunday, putting down hot spots across Auburn.
"We're going to continue to build that containment line, making sure we have a good box of line all the way around the fire," Berlant said.
NEIGHBORHOODS BURN: Creekside Place resident Len Rider talks about fire's path through his neighborhood; 8/30/09, 7:30 p.m.
CHAT: Join local moms who are talking about this story on momslikeme
According to the Placer County Sheriff's Office, By late Sunday, evacuations were beginning to be lifted around the fire scene, which stretched 7 miles northeast of Bell Road and Highway 49, including the Saddleback, Shale Ridge Dry Creek Road, Locksley Lane and Moss Rock Road areas.
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The evacuation zone started from Highway 49 east to Quartz Road; from Highway 49 north to Saddleback, from Dry Creek to Black Oak, and from Moss Rock and Saddle Rock.
By late Sunday, evacuations remained only along Dry Creek Road, east of Highway 49 and south of Dry Creek to Windsong Court.
The evacuation of the Saddleback area was lifted to local residents only around 9 p.m. and access can only be made through Virginia Street.
In the Creekside Place area, fire decimated every house, leaving a landscape that looked more like a war zone than a quiet rural neighbhorhood.
Robert Carter came home to find part of his garage still standing, but nothing else.
"Until you see it, it's hard to imagine," Carter said. "It gives you closure, but at the same time, you're starting over.
All Carter was able to salvage from the remains of his home were some of his work tools.
"I'm better than some," Carter said half-heartedly.
Daylin Pancan was at work Sunday afternoon when she got the call that her family's Auburn home was destroyed.
"Everything's gone. In a matter of minutes, everything we had," a sobbing Pancan said. "Whatever we're wearing is all we have."
The loss to Pancan's family was only compounded when they were allowed back in to their neighborhood -- only to find the family pets had also been lost to the flames.
"We had four dogs," Pancan said. "We found two of them laying next to each other."
RETURNING TO RUIN: Many Auburn residents find little left in fire's wake: Cornell Barnard's report; 8/30/09, 11 p.m.
EVACUEES: Evacuations Centers Fill Quickly: Patricia Kakridas' Report; 8/30/09, 11 p.m.
PETS: Volunteers Help Auburn Pets Injured, Lost in Fire: Will Frampton's Report; 8/30/09, 11 p.m.
Firefighters like Patrick Mason with Cal Fire said with entire neighborhoods in flames, crews are left with difficult, but necessary choices.
"At that point, basically, you can just triage the houses. You have to go through and pick which ones you can save," Mason said. "We had one engine for 10 houses so we've just got to pick what we can save. The rest, unfortunately...we've got to let go."
Evacuation centers were opened at the Rock Creek Elementary School, 3050 Bell Road in Auburn and Auburn Elementary School, 1140 Larriat Ranch Road in Auburn. About 65 people were at the Rock Creek location by 7 p.m.
Calvary Chapel Auburn at 202 Dairy Road was opened to accomodate evacuees who needed a place to spend the night, Placer County Office of Emergency Services spokesman Andy Fisher said.
Amid the destruction, a handful of area businesses quickly jumped in to offer help to the victims. The Staybridge Suites on Lonetree Boulevard in Rocklin is providing a two-nights free stay for anyone who can prove they live in the Auburn fire area.
David Freeman, owner of the Northridge Restaurant at the Lake of the Pines on Higgins Road in Auburn, said his restaurant is also offering free lunches or dinners -- also with proof of residence -- for fire victims.
A pet evacuation center was opened at the DeWitt Center in North Auburn, 11251 B Avenue.
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The blaze forced the closure of Highway 49 between Dry Creek Road and Bell Road, Berlant said. That closure was expected to remain in place throughout Sunday night, according to Cal Trans.
The CHP warned motorists that Bell Road at Quartz Drive, Blue Grass Drive at Dry Creek Road and Moss Rock Drive at Virginia were also closed until Monday.
Shortly after 1 a.m. the Southbound lanes of Highway 49 were re-opened, while Northbound remained closed.
CHP is advising motorist that usually travel northbound to turn left on Bell Road, then right on to Joeger Road, then right on to Dry Creek Road.
Auburn surface streets expected to remain closed until Monday were Windsong, Parkway Drive, Greenstone Court, Griffin and Dry Creek Road from Saddleback to Highway 49.
The Auburn Airport was also closed.
Pacific Gas and Electrice cut power to 3,700 customers near the fire for safety reasons as crews battled the flames, according to PG&E spokeswoman Brandi Ehlers.
Despite two schools being used as temporary evacuation shelters, Auburn-Union Elementary School District campuses were expected to be open Monday, district assistant superintendent Douglas Crancer said. School buses were also scheduled to run on normal schedules.
Around 7 p.m., Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for Placer County.
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