Karmactive Staff
Firefighters have stopped the forward progress of the Bonanza Fire in El Dorado County, which ignited Tuesday afternoon near Shingle Springs. The blaze has burned 181 acres and is 10% contained as of Wednesday evening, according to Cal Fire.
The fire started around 2:40 p.m. on June 17 near the 5200 block of Bonanza Auto Road and quickly spread through the rugged terrain. Within two hours, it had grown from just five acres to more than 60 acres, prompting immediate evacuation orders for nearby communities.
“It was fuel and topography-driven fire for the most part,” said Battalion Chief Josh Vickers with Cal Fire’s Amador-El Dorado Unit. The fire reportedly began near a wrecking yard, where burning vehicles added to its intensity and created spot fires in the surrounding area.
Multiple vehicles at the wrecking yard were destroyed, but Cal Fire officials confirmed no homes have been lost. Some structures sustained damage, though the exact extent remains unclear.
The steep terrain and thick brush presented significant challenges for firefighting crews. Aircraft dropped fire retardant to slow the spread, giving ground crews time to establish containment lines. Fire personnel will remain overnight to monitor and extinguish any remaining hotspots.
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“The aircraft was vital enough for us to check them for us and we were able to get crews worked in,” Vickers added.
Evacuation orders were issued for several areas, including parts of Logtown and Nashville. While many evacuation orders have since been lifted or reduced to warnings, some remain in effect, primarily in areas directly affected by the fire. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office established a temporary evacuation point at the Placerville Library on Fair Lane, though this location is not serving as an overnight shelter.
Power outages affected nearly 2,000 PG&E customers in the area at the height of the fire, particularly along the Highway 49 corridor. As of Wednesday evening, more than 99% of these outages have been restored.
Cal Fire officials credited aggressive firefighting efforts and proper home preparation by residents for saving many properties. Creating defensible space around homes by clearing vegetation and debris is a critical preventative measure in wildfire-prone areas. Cal Fire recommends maintaining at least 100 feet of cleared space around buildings.
The Department of Homeland Security advises residents in fire-prone regions to assemble emergency kits containing important documents, N95 respirator masks, and essential supplies that can be quickly grabbed during evacuations. Signing up for local warning systems like Nixle alerts (www.nixle.com) or texting your zip code to 888777 can provide critical updates during emergencies.
The cause of the Bonanza Fire remains under investigation. Fire crews continue to work on strengthening containment lines as they battle the blaze.
For the latest evacuation information and fire updates, residents are encouraged to visit fire.ca.gov or check with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Fire’s Amador-El Dorado Unit on their social media channels.
