Evacuations lifted as Copper Fire burns near Amador, Sacramento and El Dorado junction

A wildfire started Wednesday afternoon and burned 48 acres in Amador County and moving south, prompting a mandatory evacuations.

By 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the mandatory evacuation order issued by the Amador County Sheriff’s Office for areas along Long Gate Road had been lifted, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters have stopped the Copper Fire’s forward spread, and had about 60% of the wildfire contained as of Thursday morning.

Cal Fire officials said firefighters would remain in the area Thursday, putting out hot spots and smoldering oaks within the interior of the fire and monitor any possible spot fires throughout the day.

No injuries were reported and no structures had been damaged by the Copper Fire, which started about 1:15 pm.

Cal Fire officials said the threat to structures in the area had been mitigated, and residents in evacuated areas were allowed to return home.

Highway 16, which had been closed for about two hours from Ione Road to Old Sacramento Road near Plymouth, was reopened with one-lane controlled access. But Highway 16 was closed again Wednesday night because of potential spot fires, Cal Fire officials said.

Overnight, a driver suspected of driving under the influence crashed into a Caltrans truck at the Highway 16 road closure, the CHP said. The driver was arrested. Cal Fire said Highway 16 was reopened to traffic Thursday morning.

The Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit first announced about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday that the vegetation fire, now known as the Copper Fire, was burning on Copper Hill Road off of Highway 16, east of Rancho Murieta. It’s burning near the junction of Sacramento, El Dorado and Amador counties, according to officials.

The fire burned about 8 acres and was moving at a moderate speed through grass and oak woodlands. Cal Fire officials said multiple ground crews, four air tankers and two helicopters were responding.

About 15 minutes later, Cal Fire said the Copper Fire had burned about 25 acres and moving in a southerly direction. Winds from the north-northwest in the area are gusting to about 15 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

By 3:30 p.m., the Copper Fire had burned 35 acres on both sides of Highway 16, and firefighters were “making good progress” and had about 20% of the wildfire contained, Cal Fire officials said. Authorities had opened an evacuation center at the Amador County Fairgrounds in Plymouth.

David Zic, a pastor at the Seventh Day Adventist Church along Highway 16 in Plymouth, said the wildfire appeared to be moving away from their property.

“Earlier, you could see flames burning right outside the front gates on the other side of the road,” Zic told The Sacramento Bee in a phone interview. “Now, all you see is a lot of smoke. And we’re praying it stays that way.”

He said he and others in his immediate area of Amador County were given a voluntary evacuation warning. The pastor said they were going around the property to prepare to leave if needed.

More than 120 students at a school on the property, some from Sacramento County who are bused in and Amador County children dropped off by their parents, were already sent home for the day, the pastor said.

The church property sits along Highway 16, between Ione Road and Old Sacramento Road, so they’ll only be allowed to get on the highway if they’re leaving. Zic said there were several aircraft, planes and helicopters dropping a pinkish-red fire retardant on the area, hoping to put out the wildfire sooner than later.