Cal Fire has set-up a command center for the King Fire at the El Dorado County fairgrounds.
With the massive King Fire northeast of Placerville continuing to burn, the El Dorado County Fairgrounds continues its critical role as a nerve center for fire fighters as they work to gain the upper hand.
The fairgrounds are serving as a command center for Cal Fire, and is home base for roughly 5,000 firefighters and support personnel. Fair staff members are providing 24-hour maintenance and support for what has become a small city with a number of urgent needs – fork lifts and drivers; garbage, electrical, tools and equipment; tables, chairs and stages; and coordination with neighbors for overflow issues such as signs, directional barricades and traffic flow.
It is also the home for a number of evacuated animals – horses, cows, goats, poultry, alpacas and a llama. fairgrounds staff set up pens, water troughs and cages for the animals, and the group South County Large Animal Rescue (SCHLAR) is assisting with 24-hour care of the animals, coordinating feeding, exercising and cleaning of the pens.
The office staff is busy fielding calls from the community with an outpouring of volunteers and donations. They are also accepting and posting letters, cards and posters filled with gratitude and well wishes for the firefighters. The fair is using its Facebook page to keep people informed.
CDFA’s Division of Fairs and Expositions provides fiscal and policy oversight to the network of California fairs and ensures compliance with laws and regulations. California’s 78 fairs are located throughout the Golden State from the early spring to the fall of each year. We are proud to call them our partners.