The fire is currently 326,706 acres, 49% contained, approximately 1,864 personnel assisting with fire suppression and logistical operations.

Emergency equipment and personnel continue to work in the area of Hwy 168 and Kaiser Pass Road near elephant point and White Bark Vista. All of Shaver Lake Community has been repopulated. Please be cautious and drive safely.

Currently, donations are being accepted at the Shaver Lake Community Center, 41344 Tollhouse Road Shaver Lake, between the hours of 11:00 am and 4:00 pm.
 
View the full update (.pdf file)

The fire is currently 326,706 acres, 49% contained, approximately 1,991 personnel assisting with fire suppression and logistical operations.

There will be a Fresno County Community Meeting tonight Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 6:00 P.M. On line only– Facebook Live@FresnoCountyCA https://www.facebook.com/FresnoCountyCA

Weather Information:

High-pressure ridge overhead is weakening this week. Some higher-level clouds will be present. Temperatures will remain above average into mid-week. Expect slightly higher humidity both day and night; however, limited nighttime recovery will occur along mid to upper slopes. Winds remain primarily terrain-driven, with smoke transport likewise following diurnal winds upslope to up canyon during the afternoon and downslope/down drainage flow for overnights-early mornings. Smoke will tend to remain under an inversion around 5500 feet and lift in the afternoon. Somewhat better smoke transport should occur overnight at higher elevations.

Fresno County-SOUTH ZONE:

The Sierra National Forest will allow individuals who were evacuated from campgrounds, camping areas and cabins in the South Zone of the fire an opportunity to return and collect their belongings again this weekend, October 10 and 11. Please follow this link for more information on how to obtain an access permit. Permit Holder Access/Recreation Residence

A successful firing operation was conducted near Kaiser Pass Road. Crews were able to

tie the firing operation into the main body of the fire. Expect moderate to locally intense

surface fire, isolated torching, and rollout to contribute to the active fire footprint.

Seasonally drought stressed fuels will continue to contribute to active fire behavior in all

size classes.

Two spot fires occurred yesterday in the Ansel Adams Wilderness on the northeast side of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. These spot fires were slow moving and fire officials are monitoring them and looking for opportunities to safely engage.

Madera County-NORTH ZONE: 

The Sierra National Forest will allow individuals who were evacuated from their homes in the North Zone of the fire an opportunity to return and collect their belongings again this weekend, October 10 and 11. Please follow this link for more information about temporary reentry to Arnold Meadows and Beasore Meadows, please visit: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7147/57578/
 

With the support of helicopter bucket drops, crews working in the area of Little Shuteye Peak have had success blocking the fire’s emergence from the granite and are close to bringing additional line into containment status. All night shifts were transitioned to day shifts over the past 24 hours. This brings an end to night operations for the North Zone. Fireline in the vicinity of Redtop is nearing patrol status and close to being added to containment figures.

Mastication operations have been a routine practice on all accessible firelines, allowing firefighters to turn highly combustive fuels into chips. Once these chips are scattered across the ground on the green (unburned side) of the fireline, they are less likely to contribute to open heat and flame.

The fire is still 10 miles west of Mammoth Lakes; little forward progression is occurring due to the natural barriers of rock and the Lions Fire (2018) burn scar. Conditions continue to be monitored very closely.

Please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction. The use of drones is not permitted over the fire area. A drone incursion will result in the grounding of all firefighting aircraft. Remember, "If you fly - We can't."

The Sierra National Forest (SNF) Bass Lake Ranger District and Madera County Sheriff’s Office will allow individuals to enter temporarily to clean out and close cabins for the winter, in the Arnolds Meadow Community and Beasore Meadows Community.

For those who have already submitted their request you will not need to re-submit. All applicants will be required to bring with them two forms of identification, a valid driver’s license/identification and proof of property ownership (electric bill, or property deed).

The SNF will allow escorted access each for the following areas within the Bass Lake Ranger District, access will only be allowed by permit and only to the following locations:

• October 7th, 2020 - Meeting location for escort by Madera County Sheriff’s Office and Sierra National Forest will be 9:00am at Madera County Fire Station #11, old mill site at Douglas Station Road.
• October 10th, 2020 - Ending time of permit is 3:00pm, to be escorted out of area.
• This permit is only good for access to and from the Arnold Meadows Community and does not allow access to any other area within the Sierra National Forest. Access to other forest areas remains restricted per Forest Closure Order No. 05-15-00-20-15

• October 8th, 2020 - Meeting location for escort by Madera County Sheriff’s Office and Sierra National Forest will be 9:00am at Madera County Courthouse Bass Lake, Road 274.
• October 11th, 2020 - Ending time of permit is 3:00pm, to be escorted out of area.
• This permit is only good for access to and from the Beasore Meadows Community and does not allow access to any other area within the Sierra National Forest. Access to other forest areas remains restricted per Forest Closure Order No. 05-15-00-20-15

Trash services will not be provided, it will be the responsibility of each party to be prepared to pack out their own trash. Please leave no trace!

The time frames allotted will be strictly enforced, and should be used for the purpose intended, SNF law enforcement along with the sheriff’s office will sweep the area to be sure that no parties are deciding to recreate, loiter, or observe the burned areas of the Creek Fire.

To obtain more information regarding this and the permitting process please go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=fseprd815384, there you will find a page with all forms necessary as well as an email address to forward all requests. 
 

Due to an overwhelming response it is requested that the following form be filled out - Madera County BLRD Restricted Access Permit FS7700-48 and sent to the following email address SM.FS.sierranfinfo@usda.gov

The High Sierra Ranger District, will continue their process for re-entry this weekend October 10th & 11th 2020.

The SNF will allow roadblock access each of the two days from 7am - 1pm, If individuals arrive after 1pm access will not be permitted. The check-in for these days will be staged at each of the roadblock access points to areas where entry is to be made for that day.

• • From 7am – 5pm Access… McKinley Grove to Wishon to Courtright Roads.
• • From 7am – 5pm Access… Dinkey and Rock Creek areas
• • From 7am – 7pm Access… Huntington Lake and Camp Sierra areas.

The fire is currently 322,774 acres, 49% contained, approximately 1,988 personnel assisting with fire suppression and logistical operations.

There will be a Fresno County Community Meeting Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 6:00 pm.  Online only on Facebook Live @FresnoCountyCA https://www.facebook.com/FresnoCountyCA

View a .pdf version

Incident Start Date: 09/04/2020 Incident Start Time: 6:33 p.m.

Incident Type: Wildland Fire Cause: Under Investigation

Incident Location: Both sides of the San Joaquin River near Mammoth Pool, Shaver Lake, Big Creek and

Huntington Lake.

Forest/CAL FIRE Units: Sierra National Forest, CAL FIRE Units Fresno-Kings and Madera-Mariposa-Merced

Unified Command Agencies: Northern Rockies Team 4, CAL FIRE, California Team 5, Fresno and Madera County Sheriffs

Size: 322,089 Containment: 48%

Firefighter Injuries/Fatalities: 12 injuries Expected Full Containment: 10/31/2020

Structures Threatened: 119 Structures Destroyed: 856* Structures Damaged: 71*

CURRENT SITUATION

Temporary Entry Permits: The Sierra National Forest will allow individuals who were evacuated from campgrounds, camping areas and cabins in the South Zone of the fire an opportunity to return and collect their belongings again next weekend, October 10th and 11th. Additional dates and northern access will be added as permit requests dictate. Please follow this link for more information on how to obtain an access permit. Permit Holder Access/Recreation Residence Weather Information: Transitioning high pressure will again provide a warm and dry, but stable fire environment. A steady cooling trend of 1-2° each day will continue through this week. However, temperatures will still be above average through early next week before lowering to more seasonal temperatures by midweek. Diurnal winds and low humidity will keep hot spots alive which could be fanned into a short flare up, especially in areas of higher elevation where smoke clears off during the day. Smoke transport will follow diurnal winds, upslope transport during the afternoon with smoke returning to lower elevations, downslope and down drainage flows overnight. Thermal belts will set up once again tonight with very poor humidity recovery.

Fresno County-SOUTH ZONE: Expect slow, steady, active fire spread in any direction with good fuel Continuity. Deep seated fire in heavy fuels will advance through moderate to high intensity surface fire. Very steep terrain will support short aggressive runs through timber. Zones around Florence Lake have been identified for evacuation orders. Madera County-NORTH ZONE: Along the area of uncontained fire perimeter near Cold Springs and in close proximity to Little Shuteye Peak, firefighters are attacking the slow-moving flame front directly. All other lines along the west flank, south of Globe Rock are in patrol status. Good containment has been achieved along northern fire perimeters in the vicinity Red Top Peak where active gridding (fire fighters moving through the area ensuring embers in the duff located and extinguished) and mop up are ongoing. Resources in the interior of the fire, including The Road Group continued to drop hazard trees (snagging) and clear roads of debris, as well as maintain a watch over unburned fuels in Arnold and Johnson Meadows. The last structure assessments are also taking place in the northern interior.* Seasonal and fire-induced loss of needles and leaves provides an additional opportunity for reignition within already burned areas. Crews are assessing and clearing the lines of these new flammable materials to ensure the fire does not move into unburned areas (green islands), and reduce the opportunity for slop overs and spots. The fire is still 10-12 miles west of Mammoth Lakes, little forward progression is occurring due to the natural barriers of rock and the Lions Fire (2018) burn scar. Conditions continue to be monitored very closely. Additional information is available via the Sierra National Forest Facebook page, or the following link: https://creek-fire-preparednessmonomammoth.hub.arcgis.com Cattle in and around the fire area are being rounded up and moved. Be aware of cattle, those working with them, fire personnel and other hazardous conditions when returning to the fire impacted area once it re-opens. Please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction. The use of drones is not permitted over the fire area. A drone incursion will result in the grounding of all firefighting aircraft. Remember, "If you fly - We can't."

Evacuation

Map: The evacuation map of Creek Fire evacuations for Fresno and Madera counties is available online: https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=28ce52cb86bf49dea0adef5a78b3c1b5

Incident Briefing: The Sierra National Forest will host an Incident Briefing Monday at 7pm via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/

Damage Inspection: * Damage assessments are about 98% complete. Fresno County and Madera County: An interactive damage assessment map for Fresno County and Madera County is available: Fresno County Damage Assessment Map or https://bit.ly/3kxDyvI

Sign Up for Emergency Alerts Fresno County: https://t.co/Otack9NyKc?amp=1 Madera County: mcalert.org Mariposa County: Sheriff Office, sign up with Everbridge: msoalert.com Temporary Flight Restriction: Perimeter runs from South Merced River Fork on the south end of Yosemite National Park, south to Millerton Lake roughly following Route 41, east to Kings Canyon National Park, and north to Inyo National Forest. See: tfr.faa.gov

Evacuation Warnings: Madera County: For a complete list of evacuation warnings, see the Sheriff’s website (QR code and complete web address in yellow highlight).

Road Closures: Fresno County: Highway 168 at Kaiser Pass will be closed today, Sunday, October 4th. Madera County: Cascadel Road at 8S09 Cascadel Rd, Mammoth Road at 59701 Mammoth Road, Beasore Road at Road 274, Road 274 at Central Camp Road, and Road 632 at Buckskin Lane. Closure updates are listed at: https://www.facebook.com/MaderaSheriff/.

Temporary Evacuation Points: Fresno County Clovis North High School - 2770 East International Ave. Clovis, CA

Animal Evacuation Centers: Fresno County Small animals – Clovis North 2770 East International Ave. Large animals – The Fresno Fairgrounds, 1121 S Chance Ave, Fresno, CA 93702, is set up to receive evacuated animals but please contact the Central California Animal Disaster Team (888-402-2238) to make arrangements so animals can be received at the fairgrounds. Madera County Small animals – Oakhurst Community Center 39800 Road 425B Oakhurst, CA Large animals – Producer’s Livestock Facility at Madera Farm Bureau, 1022 South Pine Street, Madera, CA

Missing Persons: Fresno County Sheriff 559-600-3111 Madera County Sheriff 559-658-2555

National Park Closures: Yosemite National Park reopened September 25, 2020. For specific park information please visit National Park Service – Yosemite.

National Forest Closures: Effective October 3, 2020, the Sierra National Forest will be fully closed under Forest Closure Order No. 05-15-00-20-15 through November 1, 2020. Conditions will be re-evaluated daily. For information, please go to the Sierra National Forest website at: fs.usda.gov/alerts/sierra/alerts-notices

Bullfrog Fire Information: The Bullfrog Fire is burning on the Sierra National Forest but is not related to the Creek Fire. For information about that fire, please check InciWeb: Sierra National Forest Bullfrog Fire

ASSIGNED RESOURCES

Engines: 173 Water Tenders: 37 Helicopters: 13 Hand Crews: 35 Dozers: 12

Masticators and Skidders: 3 Total Personnel: 2,066

Air Tankers: Available as needed and conditions allow.

Cooperating Agencies

North Zone: Madera County, Madera County Public Health, Madera County Fire, OES, CHP, National Park Service,

PG&E, CDCR, Sothern California Edison, American Red Cross, California National Guard, California Army National Guard,

US Marine Corps of the 7th Engineering Support Battalion and US Navy (medics), Caltrans, and California Conservation

Corps.

South Zone: Fresno County, Fresno County Public Health, Fresno County OES, OES, Shaver Lake Fire Department, Bald

Mountain Fire Protection District, Auberry Fire Department, Huntington Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Big Creek

Volunteer Fire Department, Pine Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, CHP, National Park Service, CDCR, PG&E, Sothern

California Edison, American Red Cross, California National Guard, California Air National Guard, Caltrans, AT&T, US

Marine Corps of the 7th Engineering Support Battalion w/US Navy (medics) and California Conservation Corps.

Creek Fire Virtual Community Meeting will be aired this evening starting at 7 PM on the Sierra National Forest Facebook page > https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF

The fire is currently 322,089 acres, 48% contained, approximately 2,066 personnel assisting with fire suppression and logistical operations.

The 62% containment figure reported yesterday was an error caused by multiple sources entering conflicting data into the incident geo-database.  The error has been corrected in today's numbers.

This morning two additional zones were added to the evacuation orders issued yesterday.  News Release 10.04.2020 evacuation orders
News Release 10.05.2020 evacuation orders

There is a virtual community meeting happening on the Sierra National Forest's Facebook page at 7:00 pm this evening.  https://fb.me/e/3BgMoB5P9

View ,pdf version of the update

 

WHAT: EVACUATION ORDERS issued on the Creek Fire

DATE / TIME: October 5, 2020, at 7:00 A.M.

WHERE: Two zones southeast and northeast of Florence Lake

Fresno County and Sierra National Forest: On the afternoon of October 4, the Creek Fire spotted south of Kaiser Pass Road at the turnoff to Florence Lake Road. To provide for public safety, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office issued Evacuation Orders for the following zones southeast and northeast of Florence Lake: F10F, F10G (descriptions below), effective 7:00 A.M. on Monday, October 5. All Sierra National Forest System lands are temporarily closed under Closure Order 05-15-00-20-15, effective October 3, 2020 through November 1, 2020.

Zone F10F: The south border begins just north of Corral Mountain. The west border consists of the territories east of Courtright Reservoir. The north border extends north of Mount Shinn as well as north of the Muir Trail Ranch. The east border extends to include the area east of Zingheim Heights (West of Mount Henry).

Zone F10G: The west boundary of this zone consists of the territories east of Edison Lake. This zone includes the features such as Mount Seneger and Mount Gabb. The north boundary begins just north of Mount Hopkins. The east boundary parallels the Fresno County line southward and ends south of Turret Peak.

Interactive evacuation map: https://tinyurl.com/y3wpp6ol

Evacuation Order: Movement of community members out of a defined area due to an immediate threat to life and property from an emergency incident. An Evacuation Order should be used when there is potential or actual threat to civilian life within 1 to 2 hours or when the IC deems it necessary to protect civilians.

The fire is currently 316,673 acres, 49% contained, approximately 2,059 personnel assisting with fire suppression and logistical operations. New evacuations were ordered this afternoon.

View the full update (.pdf file)