As of July 8th, the airport is still shut down, but minimal damage to the airport itself. Lost a storage shed and some hangars were "opened," by the fire fighters, but not destroyed. The fire took out 77 acres Thanks for asking!
Having survived the Caldor Fire, I can tell you it isn't that simple. Fire moves FAST. Grizzly Flats was destroyed in about 15 minutes. Unless you were at the airport with your plane at the time of the fire (and they shut down access to the airport), and the fire had moved through the airport, your plane would have been lost. Access, speed of fire, and manpower would all have contributed to the loss. - Don the Camera Guy.
It was neat getting the shots of the tankers right overhead in an almost normal way. It really gives an idea be of the size of the fire that can almost be comprehended. Zeke, at the Lookout, had some video the other day showing the Oroville fire. At that much larger fire, the tankers appeared to be tiny. It sure gives this flatlander an overwhelming sense of the monstrous extent of fire. Thanks.
Having visited the Placerville Airport and you at Skywagons back in 2019, I have a great minds eye of the damaged area. I'm so glad it wasn't worse and everyone is ok!
Seriuosly, why aren’t there fire lines, controlled burns, fuel clearing work around places like airports, towns and homes located in fire prone areas? . Sooner or later fire comes, everyone seems surprised and its panic to risk life to save property.
That awesome cross-runway downhill drop shot of the 737 took me by surprise! They had been dropping mostly parallel to the runway southwesterly. I was tracking it on the app as it circled overhead around my house when I lost it in the trees. We’re all like wondering where the heck it went and BOOM! Here us comes almost straight at us and banking hard and up! Truly awesome airmanship from the pilots. Was definitely an interesting afternoon air show
Definitely a close one. You could make an interesting show interviewing the pilots of the big tankers. Communication. Targeting. Timing. Turnaround time. TT and Training required. I have a bunch of questions for those guys/gals.
Lucky shot that. I didn't see that 2019 Boeing 737-700 with 32,870 TT and 1,882 on the left engine and 1,276 on the right engine converted to fire fighting in 2022, creep up on me. Ha ha Made all that up.
Good job Mark! Thank you to all involved saving our beloved community and airport! The response was amazing! Everyone came together to battle this one!!! The way it should be!
Old Hangtown - very sorry for yalls misfortune - prayers for firefighters keeping yall safe - here from Blancolirio - fantastic shots of action of hard working aircrew - thank you so much.
I hope the damage is not too great. Please take care of yourselves and do not take unnecessary risks. It is very sad to lose aircraft, buildings and material that you have spent a lot of time, money and energy building and maintaining, but remember that everything that is material can be replaced, but people cannot. Best wishes from Norway!
@@skywagonuniversity5023 nothing major. For a time it was shut to all but air tanker traffic. The planes would take off, circle and drop, then land for a reload and do it again. They really didn't even get out of the pattern. The Redmond tanker base actually ran out of retardant at one point so planes had to top off at Klamath Falls and Medford for awhile until more retardant was brought in.
Wow, glad you guys survived the worst! Now that the heat is off (!) is it time for Mark, SkyWagon and those tanker boys to come and talk DC9 model year differences…??!!😅
Why? It's 85% water, the rest is food grade dye and highly diluted fertilizer, specifically ammonium sulfate. Even at 99% concentrations ammonium sulfate barely registers a 1 on the MSDS/NFPA scale.
Awesome close great captures of air tanker retardant drops and the damage to whatever that small structure was. Stay safe brother it is quite the situation there.
Thanks. It's out, It's been out since Saturday night but here we are Monday being told online that it is 35% contained. It's out and no hangars or planes lost.
I'd love to know more about getting into aerial fire fighting. Is there a sort of progression where one could start as a low-time pilot and work their way up to actual fire fighting?
@@skywagonuniversity5023 All the airplanes OK? I remember quite a few antique airplanes there when I visited years ago. Looks like a fly-in "BRUSH BASH" and Spaghetti Cook Out is in your future. All of that brushing and trees are bound to grow back. Please stay safe!
Glad all is well in spite of poor fire defensible space brush clearance. Shame on the airport and any adjoining property owners. You’re in California and should know better. There is no excuse!
There is a gap behind the hangars which is why no hangars were burnt. How far do you clear. 10 yards, a mile? Its not Nevada. It's a forested mountain community.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Yes… I am familiar with this airport. I am also familiar with the terrain and fuel types. And yes, State Fire recommendations are 30 feet CLEAR, and 100 feet with removal of brush, litter and lower limbs. Minimum. This was not done as is clearly evidenced even in the aftermath. The location on a plateau with the hillside rising up to the hangers adds to the ability of the fire to sweep uphill and blow into every crack and crevice of any buildings in the fire’s path. You guys dodged a bullet big time there. Had the winds been pushing the flaming front towards the airport, you would be reporting on a very sad disaster today. I share this as a pilot, a 35 year fire service veteran, and an angry California property owner. Every year, hundreds - sometimes thousands - of structures are lost in California. Way too many of which could have been saved through proper planning and fuel modifications. Our property insurance is going through the roof, or becoming unavailable as a result state wide. Aviation is struggling. Many communities, especially here in California are looking at potentially shutting down small airports. They barely survive as it is. Sure, insurance might replace a hanger. Maybe the aircraft. But few small airports can survive the disaster of having the infrastructure destroyed. I would implore you and your fellow tenants to work with the airport management to ensure your properties are not put at risk like this again. Work with your local fire authority on being better prepared around the remaining property, as well as this burned section when it all grows back in coming years. Please continue your excellent videos and aircraft reviews. I’ve enjoyed them and learned a lot from your vast aircraft knowledge.
It must be great living in a country where everything and everyone works to improve the lives of others. As a white man living in Africa all of my life it is sad to see the decline in our society.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 I agree. No longer flying but always an aviation enthusiast. Dad had different planes at different times but my memories are of the 182RG, the P210, and the B36
I keep my plane there. By the time I learned of the fire, access was already restricted. Unless you were at your plane when the fire started, your plane wasn't going anywhere. - Don the Camera Guy.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Yea it was near my gma's house so I was keeping a close eye on it. I can't believe the internet would lie like that. Unimaginable.
As of July 8th, the airport is still shut down, but minimal damage to the airport itself. Lost a storage shed and some hangars were "opened," by the fire fighters, but not destroyed. The fire took out 77 acres Thanks for asking!
Was wondering about that. It’s been very (nicely) quiet without all the planes messing around.
Great Field Report Mark!!!
Thank you Juan. I am glad you are in the HQ and reporting
Don't see firebreaks around these buildings. Is the concept unknown in that part of the world?
Thanks Juan. Thanks for your live coverage. Conventional media was so inaccurate.
Thanks for the Mad Dog footage Juan
Cool vids of the tanker drops! Glad everyone is ok. Thanks for sharing!
That well timed clip might circle the internet for years.
The amusing part is that it was total luck.
blancolirio sent me!
Meee tooo!
And me. Watching from Australia but have friends with aircraft located there. All the best to you all, stay safe.
same here
We are very glad Juan sent all of you to our channel. Thanks for watching! - Don the Camera Guy.
Hi, welcome. It's fun over here. Juan got me into this game.
Wow Mark, that was a close one! Glad everyone's okay. And that none of those beautiful planes were damaged.
Not like they could have untied the planes and moved them to a safer part of the airport.
Having survived the Caldor Fire, I can tell you it isn't that simple. Fire moves FAST. Grizzly Flats was destroyed in about 15 minutes. Unless you were at the airport with your plane at the time of the fire (and they shut down access to the airport), and the fire had moved through the airport, your plane would have been lost. Access, speed of fire, and manpower would all have contributed to the loss. - Don the Camera Guy.
They would have moved them if they had been in danger.
Wow. Be safe, Mark. Aircraft and structures can be replaced.
Luckily we didn't lose a plane or a hangar anywhere.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Very glad to hear that.
Wowza ! Winds can change in a heartbeat. Stay safe all!
Dang, that was CLOSE! Glad everyone is okay.
That was close! Bad ass capture of the tanker!
Total luck. I was starting to talk and bam. There she was.
Just subscribed Mark. I was watching Juan’s coverage and he showed you video. Great views
That’s some top notch coverage ! Keep it up Mark! Love it !!
Once in 30 years I get a fire at the airport.
I am glad that you’re safe. Thanks for the update.
Much appreciated
It was neat getting the shots of the tankers right overhead in an almost normal way. It really gives an idea be of the size of the fire that can almost be comprehended. Zeke, at the Lookout, had some video the other day showing the Oroville fire. At that much larger fire, the tankers appeared to be tiny. It sure gives this flatlander an overwhelming sense of the monstrous extent of fire. Thanks.
The tankers were right here in amongst the action.
That was a close shave. Great footage of the air drops...thanks!
Another Subscriber sent over from Blancolirio. OUTSTANDING coverage!
Thanks and welcome
Having visited the Placerville Airport and you at Skywagons back in 2019, I have a great minds eye of the damaged area. I'm so glad it wasn't worse and everyone is ok!
Thanks. Post mortem fire view coming out today.
Stay safe Mark. We're praying everyone will be OK.
Stay safe and prayers of safety for all those in the area affected as well as for those pilots fighting it!
Good coverage, Mark. Prayers for all affected and keep everyone safe as well as all those precious aircraft.
I think it would be better to rely on fire fighting people to take care of this one.
@@bigmuz_pilot Nonono...divine intervention always works. That's why we never have fires like this. God takes care of it!
That’s a great video. Thanks Mark!
Thanks Big Sister. :-)
Thanks Mark. I watched the show from my place here in Smith Flat...
That is stadium seating.
Seriuosly, why aren’t there fire lines, controlled burns, fuel clearing work around places like airports, towns and homes located in fire prone areas? . Sooner or later fire comes, everyone seems surprised and its panic to risk life to save property.
That awesome cross-runway downhill drop shot of the 737 took me by surprise! They had been dropping mostly parallel to the runway southwesterly. I was tracking it on the app as it circled overhead around my house when I lost it in the trees. We’re all like wondering where the heck it went and BOOM! Here us comes almost straight at us and banking hard and up! Truly awesome airmanship from the pilots. Was definitely an interesting afternoon air show
I've never seen a 737 from above when I'm standing on the ground. It was spectacular.
holy crap, that's really close...great filming!
Thanks. Post fire analysis coming up.
Hope the Luskin 180 is ok. Hope I spelled that right. Some really cool vintage toys in some of the hangers there. Hope all is well Wayne S. 👍
Definitely a close one. You could make an interesting show interviewing the pilots of the big tankers. Communication. Targeting. Timing. Turnaround time. TT and Training required. I have a bunch of questions for those guys/gals.
We'll see if we can get someone to sit down for our podcast.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 that would be great! 🍿
I have seen some of your videos before.
Juan sent me over today!
Exacellent. Juan is great. I'm going to do some more videos with him.
Wow! Glad you’re safe and slightly sprinkled red.
I'll never burn now.
Blancolirio sent me! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent. Thanks.
Holy moly what an Intro Mark!!! I hope they save your signature road ("but it's not a road it's....)
Lucky shot that. I didn't see that 2019 Boeing 737-700 with 32,870 TT and 1,882 on the left engine and 1,276 on the right engine converted to fire fighting in 2022, creep up on me. Ha ha Made all that up.
Scary. Glad everyone’s OK!
Thanks.
We cancelled our trip to Placerville about 10 days ago because of high temp forecast. Hope you guys make it thru the summer!
It's pretty hot here. Next week will be cooler.
Juan Browne sent me. What was that structure on fire in your last photo?
38°43'18.6"N 120°45'54.2"W
I think he said it was an oil storage shed?
Yes ... it was a storage shed.
A disused empty old oil dump. Nothing in it but the wood frame.
fantastic reporting and camera work - that was like a friggin movie!
yes, Thanks. All choreographed and timed. (By luck)
Praying that the fire doesn’t burn any further
Thanks. It's out now. Sequel coming today.
Woah! Incredible footage... so glad Placerville made it out okay.
Thanks.
Thanks for the post
Thanks. Had to get the truth out.
Good job Mark! Thank you to all involved saving our beloved community and airport! The response was amazing! Everyone came together to battle this one!!! The way it should be!
Couldn't agree more!
I'm on the other side of town and I can't even see the 737 tanker when it's working it's so low! I can only see it headed to and from McClellan.
Wow, it was so close. I hope everyone's equipment is OK.
Cool opening shot.
Old Hangtown - very sorry for yalls misfortune - prayers for firefighters keeping yall safe - here from Blancolirio - fantastic shots of action of hard working aircrew - thank you so much.
Thank you.
Love your videos and grateful to hear the airport was spared.
Thank you.
Wow way to close, good all are safe, excellent footage of how fire teams get it done..
They really did get it done.
On location reporting :)
Right there. Yes. News crews were making things up about a mile away.
I hope the damage is not too great. Please take care of yourselves and do not take unnecessary risks. It is very sad to lose aircraft, buildings and material that you have spent a lot of time, money and energy building and maintaining, but remember that everything that is material can be replaced, but people cannot.
Best wishes from Norway!
Norway? Looks like we've achieved global reach!
@@skywagonuniversity5023 blancolirio sent me here. 🙂
Juan is who got us into doing these videos.
Keep safe Mark! Hope and pray all is well. 🇺🇸🇬🇧
It's out now and no hangars or planes were damaged.
Please keep us posted.
So glad you are safe. I'm a want to be plot and I love watching your video's.
You can do it!
Goodness, God cover everybody there!!!
It worked. It's out. No planes or hangars lost.
We had one near the airport in Redmond Oregon today too
Any damage?
@@skywagonuniversity5023 nothing major. For a time it was shut to all but air tanker traffic. The planes would take off, circle and drop, then land for a reload and do it again. They really didn't even get out of the pattern. The Redmond tanker base actually ran out of retardant at one point so planes had to top off at Klamath Falls and Medford for awhile until more retardant was brought in.
I’m a long-time viewer and very concerned about your situation. I hope everything turns OK. Serwus!
Thank you. It's out and no hangers or planes were damaged.
Glad you’re ok.
Thanks.
Wow, glad you guys survived the worst! Now that the heat is off (!) is it time for Mark, SkyWagon and those tanker boys to come and talk DC9 model year differences…??!!😅
Praying for everyone’s safety!
Thanks. It worked, We all made it.
Great to hear!!
No way those tanker pilots are gona let airplanes go up in flames!
Pilots looking after pilots.
Juan sent me, new sub here.
Surprised to hear a fellow British accent! Stay safe! ❤
Yes, British. Been here 30 years.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Brilliant! Watching from Worcestershire, UK. Great video footage.
Let's pray for rain
It's going to rain in November.
Good luck all - great on the spot report 🙏🙏✌️✌️💜💜
Thanks.
Go wash that crap off....
Why?
It's 85% water, the rest is food grade dye and highly diluted fertilizer, specifically ammonium sulfate.
Even at 99% concentrations ammonium sulfate barely registers a 1 on the MSDS/NFPA scale.
@@virgilhilts3924 plus it’ll help protect him from sparks etc (?)
I'm fire proof now.
I just happened to be looking at Flight Radar 24 and saw all the activity around the airport, wow!
A Lot of circles as the refuelled.
Praying for you!
It worked. Thanks.
Way too close for comfort, glad they got it under control!
At least the rest of the year you know it is safe.
God bless our fire pilots.
Indeed. - Don the Camera Guy
Awesome close great captures of air tanker retardant drops and the damage to whatever that small structure was. Stay safe brother it is quite the situation there.
That was a little storage shed that burned. The tanker overhead was a total co-incidence and luck.
That was a little storage shed that burned. The tanker overhead was a total co-incidence and luck.
Clearly there was no vegetation removal done in the airport perimeter for many decades.
Black is the new green. - Don the Camera Guy
Stay safe and be well
Thank you.
Hope things are ok Mark. Praying! I just caught Juan's report. I see no TFR over you at 1130 pm. Best to you mate!
Thanks. It's out, It's been out since Saturday night but here we are Monday being told online that it is 35% contained. It's out and no hangars or planes lost.
I'd love to know more about getting into aerial fire fighting. Is there a sort of progression where one could start as a low-time pilot and work their way up to actual fire fighting?
It's a long hard road but it's the same as becoming an airline pilot.
Glad all people and assets, are ok. Scary stuff.
Yes, all safe.
It's up to 60 acres currently
Put out on Saturday night at a total of 77
Keep those airplanes safe! We're on your side!😊
Thank you.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 All the airplanes OK? I remember quite a few antique airplanes there when I visited years ago. Looks like a fly-in "BRUSH BASH" and Spaghetti Cook Out is in your future. All of that brushing and trees are bound to grow back. Please stay safe!
Holy Moly!
Close but no damage to hangars or planes.
Oh no😮 keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck everyone.
We made it no planes or hangars lost.
Glad all is well in spite of poor fire defensible space brush clearance. Shame on the airport and any adjoining property owners. You’re in California and should know better. There is no excuse!
There is a gap behind the hangars which is why no hangars were burnt. How far do you clear. 10 yards, a mile? Its not Nevada. It's a forested mountain community.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Yes… I am familiar with this airport. I am also familiar with the terrain and fuel types. And yes, State Fire recommendations are 30 feet CLEAR, and 100 feet with removal of brush, litter and lower limbs. Minimum. This was not done as is clearly evidenced even in the aftermath. The location on a plateau with the hillside rising up to the hangers adds to the ability of the fire to sweep uphill and blow into every crack and crevice of any buildings in the fire’s path. You guys dodged a bullet big time there. Had the winds been pushing the flaming front towards the airport, you would be reporting on a very sad disaster today.
I share this as a pilot, a 35 year fire service veteran, and an angry California property owner. Every year, hundreds - sometimes thousands - of structures are lost in California. Way too many of which could have been saved through proper planning and fuel modifications. Our property insurance is going through the roof, or becoming unavailable as a result state wide. Aviation is struggling. Many communities, especially here in California are looking at potentially shutting down small airports. They barely survive as it is. Sure, insurance might replace a hanger. Maybe the aircraft. But few small airports can survive the disaster of having the infrastructure destroyed.
I would implore you and your fellow tenants to work with the airport management to ensure your properties are not put at risk like this again. Work with your local fire authority on being better prepared around the remaining property, as well as this burned section when it all grows back in coming years.
Please continue your excellent videos and aircraft reviews. I’ve enjoyed them and learned a lot from your vast aircraft knowledge.
Wow!
Wow! Has that happened before there Mark? Glad there was only minimal damage to the airfield. As someone else has said, great field report though!
Thank you. It's good to have an accurate on-field report. Mainstream-media can be inaccurate.
Glad you guys are ok, would have missed your videos if you'd lost the planes. Lucky the tankers were available ! Watching from NZ
Thanks for watching!
New Zealand in mid winter. Wish I was there. Where? Whats the temp. Its 40C here.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 12C in Auckland at 6.27PM , -swap you some of your 40c for some of our 12
Blimey that’s close. Stay safe!
Thanks.
Wow close.
I hope everything is OK? Did any aircraft fly out to avoid fire?
Looks like the fire was stopped from getting to aircraft or hangars.
Yes. It airport was closed and no planes left. None were damaged and no hangers were damaged..
It must be great living in a country where everything and everyone works to improve the lives of others. As a white man living in Africa all of my life it is sad to see the decline in our society.
Everyone was right on top of it. Lit at 11am and out by 8pm same day.
Is this Australia?
Placerville, California, east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Tanker air crew are brave!
It's a hell of a job.
Juan say to say hi. Hi!
👋
Hi. It's fun over here on Skywagons.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 I agree. No longer flying but always an aviation enthusiast. Dad had different planes at different times but my memories are of the 182RG, the P210, and the B36
Holy Cow!
bam. I got a bit wet.
Hope all are safe.
Yes, all good here. Thank you.
Stay safe all!
Thank you.
Was just looking at the Pay fire on ForeFlight and Watch Duty, then saw this. 77.5 acres with evacuations. Hang in there…
No hangars or planes lost. It's out now.
Be safe
Thanks. It's out. No hangars or planes damaged.
Stay safe!
We made it.
I would already have flown out!
I’m pretty sure there’s a tfr at the airport
I keep my plane there. By the time I learned of the fire, access was already restricted. Unless you were at your plane when the fire started, your plane wasn't going anywhere. - Don the Camera Guy.
I was about to fly out with a customer. Came out of the office and saw smoke. The rest is history.
Juan sent me 👍
Welcome over.
It’s around 70.5 acres now
It's out now, 77 acres. It was out on Saturday but the "internet" says it is only 35% contained.
@@skywagonuniversity5023 Yea it was near my gma's house so I was keeping a close eye on it. I can't believe the internet would lie like that. Unimaginable.
Not cool, hope ur okay mark, from Alberta Canada.
Thanks for watching, eh!
I'll bet the insurance company paid for that tanker drop. It would have been dollars well spent.
That was one of about 30 drops like that. Just on that plane. There were smaller turbine planes too.
Is this in Australia?
Northern California, Australia sends tankers to US during our fire season.❤
Hey Mark, what is the v-tail plane behind you? Doesn’t look like a Magister.
It's a Beechcraft Bonanza, a 35 series (the original configuration of the Bonanzas, with the V tail).
Looks like a Sonex Waiex
@@jamesnelson7415um, no. As a former K35 owner, I guarantee it isn’t. The shape of the ruddervators is wrong.
It's a tiny two seater Sonex