New prescribed fire started in El Dorado County on Jan. 19

Published Jan 21, 2026 #Smud rx fire

Started: 23 hours ago, 5:38 p.m. Jan. 19

Initial location: El Dorado County, Calif.

Fire type: Prescribed

Fire name: Smud

A new prescribed burn, called Smud, was initiated 5:38 p.m. Jan. 19 in El Dorado County, California.

The prescribed fire has been burning on private land for 23 hours.

Prescribed fire (prescribed burn) is a wildfire prevention method that involves burning an area of land in a controlled manner to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Source: National Interagency Fire Center