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Airola Fire In Calaveras County Contained

VALLECITO (CBS13) — The Airola Fire burning in Calaveras County has been contained at 639 acres. It started Aug. 25th near Parrots Ferry and Airola roads.

Previous day's updates below:

7:19 a.m.

Cal Fire reports that the Airola Fire has been holding at 700 as of Friday morning.

Containment is also now up to 35 percent.

No structures have been destroyed in this wildfire, Cal Fire says, but 200 remain threated.

All evacuation orders were downgraded to just warnings last night.

Previous day's updates below:

8:00 p.m.

All evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for the Airola Fire. Containment rose to 25% while acreage was again reported at 700.

6:00 p.m.

The Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services said if the Airola Fire jumps containment lines, it could threaten 10 wooden flumes that are part of a 27-mile-long system that is the only public water supply for about 10,000 residents in Murphys, Douglas Flat, Vallecito and Angels Camp.

As of Thursday evening, the fire was reported at 710 acres and 10% containment.

10:30 a.m.

Cal Fire has revised its numbers of the size of the Airola Fire in Calaveras County, now saying that the wildfire has only reached a total of 700 acres as of Thursday morning.

Containment is now up to 10 percent.

Firefighters had to deal with critically dry fuel and steep terrain overnight. Still, crews are working to create direct and indirect containment lines.

Forecasters say hotter and drier temperatures are expected through the weekend.

Previous day's updates below: 

6:04 p.m.

The Airola Fire was now estimated at 1,000 acres in size, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office.

Areas under immediate evacuation orders are as follows:

  • All of Parrots Ferry Road from the Tuolumne/Calaveras County line at Parrots Ferry Bridge to Highway 4 including Moaning Cavern and Camp Nine Road areas as well as East of Red Hill Road to Parrots Ferry Road

The towns of Douglas Flat and Murphys are under evacuation warnings.

The sheriff's office said an evacuation center was set up at Mark Twain Elementary school in Angels Camp.

5:10 p.m.

Cal Fire said the Airola Fire has quickly grown to 700 acres in size. Evacuations are now in progress around the burn site. More details will be coming soon.

Additionally, Perrotts Ferry Road at State Route 4 is under complete closure. There is no estimated time for the reopening of the roadway.

4:04 p.m.

Crews in Calaveras County were battling a new fast-growing fire on Wednesday.

The blaze, dubbed the Airola Fire, has already scorched 300 acres as of the afternoon and a large plume of smoke filled the sky.

According to Cal Fire, the burn site is near Parrotts Ferry Road and north of Parrotts Ferry Bridge in the small town of Vallecito, east of Angels Camp and northeast of New Melones Lake.

This is a developing story. CBS13 will bring you more updates as they become available.

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