EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. (KTXL) — Several crews spent the day prepping heavily-fire-damaged areas along Highway 50 ahead of the storm.
Crews have been out here for hours cutting down trees and cleaning up debris on the mountainside above Highway 50 near Pollock Pines, all preparing for the gusty winds and wet weather ahead.
Charred trees and chipped wood litter the area as the U.S. National Forest Service works around the clock to prepare for heavy rain.
The terrain was left scorched from the Caldor Fire. Most of the work, as of Sunday, is to keep drivers on the highway safe.
“Hazard trees are a major issue, especially with this wind event. We want to make sure that the hazard trees are mitigated, cut them down so they don’t fall across roads, trails, things like that,” said Evan Guzik of the U.S. National Forest Service.
Local businesses told FOX40 they’re grateful for those efforts.
“I’m definitely thankful to have all the crews out here. It makes me feel a lot better about everything. There will be a lot of obstacles, like landslides and mudslides when the wet weather comes,” said Aly Alvarez of the Strawberry Station General Store.
Landslides and mudslides are what crews are working to prevent from happening.
“There’s some areas where there’s hand line that’s being repaired, dozer lines that’s being repaired and some areas where there’s erosion control. So, they are putting up baffles to keep the water from flowing down the hill,” Guzik explained.
“Especially after a wildfire that comes through, you can expect there’s going to be a landslide just because of the way it works. It will fluff off everything into the road. So, we’re just like, not if, but when?” Alvarez said.
In the meantime, Guzik is asking tourists and residents alike to be patient.
“It’s going to take a lot of precip to put this out and it’s going to take a lot of manpower and continued work to get it to the end,” Guzik said.
Crews will be in the area working and trying to get as much done as possible before the rain starts.
