The fast-moving Electra Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties continues to threaten “critical power infrastructure,” Cal Fire said Tuesday. The wildfire began on the Fourth of July near Vox Beach along the Mokelumne River and has burned 3,034 acres as of Tuesday morning. There is no containment and 450 structures are threatened.
The wildfire is burning near a PG&E station on Electra Road. The facility temporarily provided shelter for holiday vacationers who were relaxing on Vox Beach when the blaze broke out. About 100 people waited in the station for rescue as first responders cleared downed trees and power lines to get to them. They were all safely evacuated by 9:30 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire said.
“There is continued threat to critical power infrastructure,” Cal Fire said in its morning incident report. “Steep rugged terrain is making access challenging for fire crews in the South Fork of the Mokelumne River drainage, however firefighters continue to construct control lines.”
PG&E’s outage map shows that thousands of customers throughout Amador and neighboring Calaveras County are without power. Another piece of infrastructure is in proximity to the blaze: The Mokelumne River watershed supplies the water for the East Bay Municipal Utility District and provides drinking water to 1.4 million Bay Area customers.
Firefighter Rafael Soto battles the Electra Fire burning in the Rich Gulch community of Calaveras County, Calif., on Tuesday, July 5, 2022.
Noah Berger/AP
The Electra Fire exploded in a matter of hours. Shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire assessed the wildfire at “approximately 75 acres burning at a dangerous rate of spread in dry grass in North Fork of the Mokelumne.” By 7:30 p.m., it was already at 959 acres with no containment. The cause of the fire is unknown, but Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman said the fire possibly began at Vox Beach, potentially due to a barbecue or fireworks.
Mandatory evacuations are in place east of the Mokelumne Hill area for now, but conditions can change quickly. Check the evacuation map for the latest information, or call or text Evacuation Teams of Amador at 1-209-419-2000. A map of the Electra Fire can be seen here:
Evacuees can head to the Italian Picnic Grounds at 581 Highway 49 in Sutter Creek or San Andreas Town Hall at 24 Church Hill Road in San Andreas. If you have small or large animals, head to the Amador County Fairgrounds.
There are a number of road closures, per Caltrans:
-Electra Road at Highway 49
-Clinton Road at Butte Mountain Cutoff
-Butte Mountain Road at Butte Mountain Cutoff
-Highway 26 at Buckeye Lane to Ridge Road
You can monitor the fire on AlertWildfire’s livestreaming cameras.
A firefighter sprays water on the Electra Fire burning in the Rich Gulch community of Calaveras County, Calif., on Monday, July 4, 2022.
Noah Berger/AP
The Electra Fire burns in Amador County on July 4, 2022.
AlertWildfire/Handout