Mosquito Ridge Road near Foresthill will reopen to all traffic at 8 a.m. today.

A portion of the road has been closed for public and firefighter safety because of the American fire burning in Placer County northeast of Foresthill.

But, as firefighters reach containment of the fire, emergency vehicle traffic on the road has decreased, said Gwen Ernst-Ulrich, the forest’s acting public affairs officer, in a news release.

The fire, which started Aug. 10 and has burned 26,817 acres, was 99 percent contained as of Thursday night, officials reported. The cause is under investigation.

Three Forest Service roads, two popular trails and a campground within the fire area remain closed until further notice.

The roads include Deadwood Ridge Road from Foresthill Divide Road to the road’s end, Foresthill Divide Road from the intersection of Humbug Canyon Road to Robinson Flat and Flat Ravine Road from Robinson Flat Campground to Mosquito Ridge Road.

The bill for the 15,700-acre American Fire northeast of Foresthill reached $12.5 million Wednesday, with containment targeted for Sept. 1.

The fire is being described by fire officials as 63 percent contained, with firefighters watching the skies for thunderhead formations and possible lightning.

The fire has been determined to be human-caused, but Mike Johnson, information officer for the California Interagency Agency Management fire strategy team, said Wednesday that he can’t comment on the investigation or provide any additional information.

While Auburn was again free of smoke Wednesday, Colfax was suffering from a thick haze from the American Fire as atmospheric conditions changed.

On Wednesday, an army of 1,822 firefighters and support personnel was mopping up containment on the west side of the fire while improving fire lines on the north and northeast edge.

Johnson said efforts to contain the fire in steep terrain on the east and southeast perimeters were continuing, with crews directly attacking the flames where possible.

Smoke will continue to be generated in heavy volume, especially from the densely timbered Antoine, Manilla, Screrauger and Cavanah canyons, he said.

With a red-flag warning issued by the National Weather Service for thunder and erratic winds, the management team is prepared to change plans if a storm cell moves through.

“Thanks to the technology we have on weather, we can plan for that happening,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the initial cost estimate for the fire, which broke out Aug. 1, is $12.5 million.

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State and federal emergency crews continue to battle a growing wildfire emitting heavy smoke in the Tahoe National Forest.

The American fire is burning in a heavily forested area of very steep terrain on Deadwood Ridge, about 10 miles northeast of Foresthill, Calif., roughly a half hour west of Lake Tahoe.

The U.S. Forest Service estimated its size at 15,738 acres as of Wednesday morning, when it was 63 percent contained. Officials estimate it will be 100 percent contained by noon on Sept. 1.

Officials attribute the inferno’s growth to hot and dry weather, allowing the blaze to spread along the Deadwood Ridge on the north and south ends.

Roughly 1,813 personnel from Calfire and USFS and other agencies are fighting the fire, the start of which is under investigation.

On Tuesday, the fire’s information officer, Mike Johnson, said the blaze is believed to be human-caused, according to media reports, although he does not think it’s arson.

The fire ignited at about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 10 and has destroyed four structures as of Wednesday morning, according to USFS.

“While the fire is predominantly burning within the North Fork of the Middle Fork American River drainage, there is a potential, given changes in weather or fire behavior, for the fire to threaten areas near Foresthill,” according to a USFS statement.

Forest Supervisor Tom Quinn has signed an emergency closure order for portions of National Forest System lands within and adjacent to the fire, including access roads and trails surrounding it.

Individuals with questions may contact the American River District ranger at 530-367-2224.

Thunderstorms predicted this week may bring additional complexity and increase the potential for new starts, according to the forest service.

Further, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning through 11 p.m. Wednesday; changing weather patterns are likely to affect fire behavior and smoke patterns.

At Tahoe/Truckee, smoke is expected to be thicker in the evenings, and should linger in the region until the fire is extinguished.

Residents along Donner Lake in Truckee have reported thick smoke in the evenings the past several days. Heavy haze also started filtering into the Lake Tahoe Basin this past weekend.

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