July 15 at 9:50 p.m. Update
The Royal Fire burning in the Tahoe National Forest is now 95% contained.
According to InciWeb the fire is holding steady at 215 acres.
July 12 at 6:47 p.m. Update
Crews are progressing on the Royal Fire by halting any spread over the last 48 hours.
The Royal Fire, which started on Sunday, is burning five miles south of Soda Springs, California. After burning 215 acres, it's now 46 percent contained.
Dozens of engines were parked, and firefighters camped at Soda Springs Mountain Resort, but on Thursday night, the Tahoe Forest transitioned out of unified command, letting Cal/Fire and Placer County Sheriff's Office leave at about 6 p.m.
However, all those personnel are still on standby because, as the Forest Service points out, the combination of early-season drying and record high temperatures makes the landscape vulnerable to being set off again.
"It could be an interesting few days; we continue to have hot spots. We have increasing winds, the threat of thunderstorms, the threat of lightning, and so we're not out of the woodwork yet," said USFA Tahoe National Forest Truckee Ranger Jonathan Cook-Fisher.
While crews have made progress containing the blaze, the weekend's forecast includes extreme heat, low humidity, and the possibility of high winds and dry lighting, which could cause flare-ups.
At the height of the fire, 300 people were on the scene, with aerial units dropping fire retardants, dozers digging lines, hot shots fighting the blaze, and hand crews establishing and defending the perimeter.
Hand crews play a pivotal role in digging lines and removing vegetation around the perimeter. The Iron Mountain Hand Crew hails from nearby Eldorado National Forest, so they're used to the rough terrain,
"A lot of good fire fighting is going on there with wind and topography, as well as the steepness of the slope and the shape of the country. So it was slow going to keep everybody safe, but it went really well," said Iron Mountain Hand Crew Captain Kevin Breitwieser.
The Forest Service says the key opportunity right now is to prevent it from restarting and breaking out into something bigger.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
