EL DORADO COUNTY-
The flames of the King Fire – battling to make a menacing merge onto Highway 50 Tuesday night and emergency crews again found themselves in hand-to-hand combat trying to battle them back.
By Wednesday, 18,544 acres had been claimed by this blaze.
It’s also in control of traffic in both directions on 50 between Fresh Pond and Sly Park Road in Pollock Pines – shutting the highway down around 8 p.m.
Early Tuesday afternoon Ed Bovino was waiting and watching in the south side of Fresh Pond.
The water drops overhead made for eerie background music in the woods as he prepared to take exit cues from a raging monster threatening more than 1,600 homes.
“Right here, there’s probably about seven or eight guitars in there,” he said as he showed off his packed pick-up.
Just a week out from surgery, he can’t lift much but for him, his wife and their little dog Dude he says it would be enough to start over.
“Scary…real scary,” Bovino said about the prospect.
Now the King Fire is bearing down on his side of the highway.
