InciWebCreek Fire Update for September 20 2020
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
CREEK FIRE INCIDENT UPDATE
Date: 09/20/2020 Time: 9:00
INCIDENT FACTS
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: Great Basin Team 1, CAL FIRE 1, Fresno County Sheriff, Madera County Sheriff
Size: 278,368
Containment: 25%
Firefighter Injuries/Fatalities: 0
Expected Full Containment: 10/15/2020
Structures Threatened: 8,063
Structures Destroyed: 84*
Structures Damaged: 71*
CURRENT SITUATION
Current Situation:
Fresno County: Fire activity moderated in the South Zone of the Creek fire last night combined with improving overnight humidity recovery. Though the fire continued to back and smolder in the heavier fuels, more active fire behavior was observed in the light fuels in wind prone areas. A new surface fuel is being established as the overstory in the lightly burned areas are beginning to drop leaves and needles. This will be monitored as it creates the potential for a ground fire to return to areas previously burned.
Clear skies and light winds allowed smoke to settle back into the lower drainages and canyons, which will create a heavier smoke inversion layer than was experienced yesterday. Today, sunny skies will prevail today with a gradual warming and drying trend that should allow smoke to lift through the day, but will not completely dissipate.
The fire intensity should increase as the weather continues to dry through the day. Heavier fuels retaining heat for long periods of time may spread to lighter fuels in the afternoon. Spotting can become an issue again today when if the smoke inversion layer allows sunshine to preheat fuels. However, limited progression beyond the existing fire perimeter is expected in most areas of the fire today.
If the fire does progress, it is expected to do so to the east of Huntington Lake around China Peak and to the northeast, potentially connect with the portion of fire moving south around Mount Tom. Growth will slow as fuels become scarcer in higher elevations. The fire may progress towards Florence Lake and the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness.
Operational priorities remain full containment of the fire in the South Zone and heavy equipment (bulldozers) and manual (handcrew) line construction will continue around the east portions of the zone. Fire suppression units (e.g. fire engines) will focus on tactical patrol and direct mopup in and near the fire perimeter.
Madera County: 250 Marines and Sailors with 7th Engineer Support Battalion from Camp Pendleton, California are beginning a 2-day field training today to reinforce the recent classroom orientation for new firefighters. The trainers are experienced wildland firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service. All are looking forward to supporting containment efforts.
Firefighters on the west side of the fire are beginning back-burning operations along the 09 Road. Heavy vehicle traffic is expected from North Fork through Central Camp as well as on the Beasore Road. Please drive cautiously! Beware of standing dead trees and other hazards.
The fire is slowly progressing to the northeast toward rock bluffs and other natural fire barriers. Strategies are in place for the northern flank and the community of Mammoth Lake; the fire edge is still than 10-12 miles from Mammoth Mountain. Additional information is available via the Sierra National Forest Facebook page, or: https://creek-fire-preparedness-monomammoth.hub.arcgis.com
Heavy smoke is forecast for portions of the Creek Fire today. Air operations will be scheduled as conditions permit. Please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction; keep drones away from the fire and firefighting operations. If you fly, we can’t! Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert!
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 tonight at 7pm via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/
Damage Inspection:
* Damage assessments are approximately 92% 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 King’s Canyon National Park, and north to Inyo National Forest. See: tfr.faa.gov
Evacuation Warnings:
Fresno County: Community of Prather. South of Little Sandy / Lodge Rd. North East of Tollhouse Rd. North of Millerton Rd. / Nicholas Rd. East Auberry Rd.
Madera County: Bass Lake, Marina View, Cascadel Woods, and the 225 corridor. 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: Maxon Road at Trimmer Springs Road, Sycamore Road at Watts Valley Road, Highway 168 at Lodge Road, Lodge Road at Tollhouse Road, Auberry Road at Jose Basin Road, Duncan Canyon Road at Burrough North Road
Madera County: Road 222 at 229A, Road 274 at Beasore Road, Road 274 at Central Camp, Road 632 at Buckskin
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, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are closed to the public due to smoke conditions.
National Forest Closures:
US Forest Service temporarily closed Southern California Forests, including the Sierra National Forest. Regional Order Number 20-12 Emergency Forest Closure.
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: 326
Water Tenders: 83
Helicopters: 16
Hand Crews: 30
Dozers: 88
Other: 765
Total Personnel: 2,915
Air Tankers: Numerous firefighting air tankers are flying fire suppression missions as 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 Air National Guard.
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.
To learn more about wildfire preparedness visit:
Creek Fire Update for September 19 2020
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
CREEK FIRE INCIDENT UPDATE
Date: 09/19/2020 Time: 9:00
INCIDENT FACTS
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: Great Basin Team 1, CAL FIRE 1, Fresno County Sheriff, Madera County Sheriff
Size: 248,256
Containment: 22%
Firefighter Injuries/Fatalities: 0
Expected Full Containment: 10/15/2020
Structures Threatened: 8,063
Structures Destroyed: 843*
Structures Damaged: 71*
CURRENT SITUATION
Current Situation:
Fresno County: A few more evacuation warnings were lifted in the South Zone, occurring outside the fire perimeter in the southwestern area of the fire, and the general area of Meadow Lakes and Humphrey's Station. The chance for precipitation ended last evening but relative humidity remained high overnight. Increased sunshine today will lead to slightly warmer temperatures and daytime relative humidity will be lower than yesterday and the South Zone will experience more terrain driven wind.
Fire activity will be moderated with the higher humidity levels. Heavier fuels, especially those in wind prone areas, will be where the most active fire activity is observed. Fire growth, where it occurs, is expected to be minimal with only slow backing and flanking fire. Any fire progression will be to the east of Huntington Lake around China Peak potentially connect with the portion of fire moving south around Mount Tom. Progression will slow as fuels become reduced in the high higher elevation rock.
Operational priorities are tactical patrol around the fire perimeter, structure protection within the communities where there is still a threat to the fire, and line construction. While containment is increasing significant challenges remain to completing line around the entire fire. This requires construction of line in steep terrain where bulldozers may not be able access necessitating the use of handcrews.
Madera County: Firefighters continue to show steady progress working north along the west side of the fire, developing containment line and preparing for back-burning operations. Work is focused on the 09 Road today; crews will move north toward Central Camp as operations there are completed.
At this point the fire is moving slowly to the northeast. Firefighters have strategies in place for the northern flank as well as in the community of Mammoth Lake, although the fire is still more than 10 miles from the community. Additional information is available via the Sierra National Forest Facebook page, or: https://creek-fire-preparedness-monomammoth.hub.arcgis.com.
Damage assessments are now estimated to be 90 percent complete. Teams continue working throughout the area to complete assessments, clear debris from roads, and restore utilities. As residents return to these communities, please drive cautiously! Beware of standing dead trees and other hazards. Non-residential traffic such fire engines and other large vehicles are working in many neighborhoods. There is still much work ahead!
As weather conditions allow air operations to resume, please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction; keep drones away from the fire and firefighting operations. If you fly, we can’t! Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert!
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 Saturday at 7pm via Facebook Live focusing on Mammoth Lakes and the north side of the Creek Fire: https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/
Damage Inspection:
* Damage inspection teams are evaluating structures; assessments are approximately 90% complete. Madera County Sheriff’s Office is contacting property owners directly. A website is available for Fresno County properties that have been assessed to date: https://calfire-forestry.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1933470ef8ea4c7e9cede56adf54efe1&extent=-13377356.4387%2C4419677.6073%2C-13142541.8878%2C4523937.7139%2C102100.
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 King’s Canyon National Park, and north to Inyo National Forest. See: tfr.faa.gov
Evacuation Warnings:
Fresno County: Community of Prather. South of Little Sandy / Lodge Rd. North East of Tollhouse Rd. North of Millerton Rd. / Nicholas Rd. East Auberry Rd.
Madera County: O’Neals, Walker Grade, and Fish Camp. 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: Maxon Road at Trimmer Springs Road, Sycamore Road at Watts Valley Road, Highway 168 at Lodge Road, Lodge Road at Tollhouse Road, Auberry Road at Jose Basin Road, Duncan Canyon Road at Burrough North Road
Madera County: Road 222 at 229A, Douglas Ranger Station, Road 233 at Peckinpah Acres, Road 225 at Road 274, Road 274 at Beasore Road, Road 274 at Central Camp, Road 632 at Buckskin
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
Damage Assessment Map:
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
Missing Persons:
Fresno County Sheriff 559-600-3111
Madera County Sheriff 559-658-2555
National Park Closures:
Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are closed to the public due to smoke conditions.
National Forest Closures:
US Forest Service temporarily closed Southern California Forests, including the Sierra National Forest. Regional Order Number 20-12 Emergency Forest Closure
Creek Fire Update for September 18 2020
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
CREEK FIRE INCIDENT UPDATE
Date: 09/18/2020 Time: 9:00
INCIDENT FACTS
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: Great Basin Team 1, CAL FIRE 1, Fresno County Sheriff, Madera County Sheriff
Size: 248,256
Containment: 20%
Firefighter Injuries/Fatalities: 0
Expected Full Containment: 10/15/2020
Structures Threatened: 8,611
Structures Destroyed: 804*
Structures Damaged: 67*
CURRENT SITUATION
Current Situation:
Fresno County: On Friday, the Creek Fire’s South Zone should experience less fire activity this morning than during the previous operations periods. An overnight weather system brough high level tropical moisture to the fire, increasing cloud cover and humidity and very light showers were experienced in the fire area. This pattern will linger into Friday morning, and gusty southwest winds return in the morning along with seasonal temperatures, humidity, and local upslope and upcanyon winds.
While precipitation may occur, it is forecast at less than 1/10th of an inch. It will reduce fire activity in finer fuels such as grasses and brush but will not affect heavier fuels like timber. For this reason, as the weather system moves out Friday afternoon southwest winds will increase. This presents the likelihood that fire in the afternoon into the overnight periods will be more substantial than the daytime.
Last night the fire behavior was centered around Huntington Lake around China Peak. It will also progress towards Florence Lake and the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. It should be noted substantial heat remains in the heavier fuel loads, in which smoldering will be observed until complete mop-up can occur.
Operationally for the next twenty-four and forty-eight hours, the priority remains increasing containment through perimeter control and direct attack of any open flames and mopping up inside the current fire area. This will be accomplished through utilizing bulldozers and building new line and improving existing lines. Where the terrain limits accessibility of bulldozers, hand-crews are assigned to complete this task in Blue Canyon and Sycamore Creek and some portions of the southwest area of the fire.
Madera County: Weather conditions for today will feature increasing humidity along with the chance for light showers in the region. This humidity will help reduce the volatility of spot fires, and slow progression of the fire in the north and northeastern sections of the fire. This weekend, down-sloping winds and an inversion layer will return once again trapping smoke in lower elevations and valleys.
Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks have all been closed to the public. The Parks were closed due to the unhealthy smoke conditions, and not because of the threat of fire spread. Any remaining visitors in these National Parks will be evacuated today. All visitors and recreationists reported to be in the Forests have been accounted for and have exited the park with no injuries reported.
Work continues on the west flank to fortify contingency lines and to protect assets such as Central Camp and the Bass Lake area. The tactics deployed in this area will provide options for our firefighting operations depending on how the fire reacts to the changing weather conditions in this area.
Preparations continue for the community of Mammoth Lakes as winds push the Creek Fire to the northeast. Management Action Points (MAPs) have been established as virtual lines on the map in relation to fire location. If the fire crosses any of these MAPs, Emergency Officials will enact appropriate actions to protect life and property. All concerned in this specific region can visit the Sierra National Forest Facebook page, or use the following link for information: https://creek-fire-preparedness-monomammoth.hub.arcgis.com
As weather conditions allow air operations to resume, please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction; keep drones away from the fire and firefighting operations. If you fly, we can’t! Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert!
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 Friday at 7pm via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/
Damage Inspection:
* Damage inspection teams are evaluating structures; assessments are approximately 78% complete. Madera County Sheriff’s Office is contacting property owners directly. A website is available for Fresno County properties that have been assessed to date: https://calfire-forestry.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1933470ef8ea4c7e9cede56adf54efe1&extent=-13377356.4387%2C4419677.6073%2C-13142541.8878%2C4523937.7139%2C102100.
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 King’s Canyon National Park, and north to Inyo National Forest. See: tfr.faa.gov
Evacuation Warnings:
Fresno County: Community of Prather. South of Little Sandy / Lodge Rd. North East of Tollhouse Rd. North of Millerton Rd. / Nicholas Rd. East Auberry Rd.
Madera County: O’Neals, Walker Grade, and Fish Camp. 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: Prather Roundabout, Tollhouse Road at Pittman Hill Road, Maxon Road at Trimmer Springs Road, Auberry Road at Jose Basin Road, Watts Valley Road at Maxon Road, SR-168 at Lodge Road
Madera County: Road 222 at 229A, Road 222 at Road 235, Road 225 at Road 274, Road 233 at Peckinpah Acres, Road 274 from Beasore Road to Central Camp, Road 632 at Buckskin
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
Damage Assessment Map:
Fresno County and Madera County:
To view an interactive damage assessment map for Fresno County and Madera County, open the following link:
Fresno County Damage Assessment Map
Missing Persons:
Fresno County Sheriff 559-600-3111
Madera County Sheriff 559-658-2555
National Park Closures:
Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are closed to the public due to smoke conditions.
National Forest Closures:
US Forest Service temporarily closed Southern California Forests, including the Sierra National Forest. Regional Order Number 20-12 Emergency Forest Closure.
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: 331
Water Tenders: 84
Helicopters: 18
Hand Crews: 32
Dozers: 76
Other: 757
Total Personnel: 2,978
Air Tankers: Numerous firefighting air tankers are flying fire suppression missions as 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 Air National Guard.
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.
To learn more about wildfire preparedness visit:
Creek Fire Update for September 17 2020
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
CREEK FIRE INCIDENT UPDATE
Date: 09/17/2020 Time: 9:00
INCIDENT FACTS
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: Great Basin Team 1, CAL FIRE 1, Fresno County Sheriff, Madera County Sheriff
Size: 244,746
Containment: 18%
Firefighter Injuries/Fatalities: 0
Expected Full Containment: 10/15/2020
Structures Threatened: 9,438
Structures Destroyed: 744*
Structures Damaged: 62*
CURRENT SITUATION
Current Situation:
Fresno County: The South Zone of the Creek Fire enters a critical period for the remainder of this week as winds will increase the next several days combining with other weather influences which may encourage fire growth. As a result, the operational priorities and objectives will focus on protecting at risk communities and infrastructure in the areas most likely to see fire growth.
While the lifting of the smoke inversion the next few days may allow aviation assets to deploy and assist with fire attack, it will also provide more preheating of fuels on south and southwest slope aspects in the zone. If the predicted winds develop this could result in increased fire activity, spotting, and spread into areas where the alignment of topography and weather are a potential. For this reason, direct attack, direct line construction, and active mop-up of all areas in the South Zone are prioritized for resources assigned on the fireline.
Crews assigned to the eastern perimeter are working to construct new fireline and improve existing fireline. Utilizing built and natural barriers, such as roads and existing topographical features, personnel are strengthening the line around the Rock Creek and Bald Mountain. Work progresses around China Peak to fully establish containment lines.
Near and around Shaver Lake structure protection is the operational priority as line south of the area is being constructed. If the fire moves east and north from the southernmost portion of the fire into Blue Canyon towards the threatened communities around Bretz Hill Rd, additional structure damage could be realized. Additionally, direct attack of open flame and aggressive mop-up continue in this area, and all areas around communities on the fire.
Madera County: Very dry air began moving into the region yesterday, along with increased winds and weakening of the inversion. These factors allow for increased fire growth along the north and northeastern flanks of the Creek Fire. Containment lines on the west flank were extended north from Cascadel Woods to an area just south of Peckinpah Meadow. Extension of containment lines has kept overall containment at 18% despite the fire spread. Very low humidity levels will continue today, with an enhancement of the upslope winds for these higher elevations.
Work continues on the west flank to fortify contingency lines and to protect assets such as Central Camp and the Bass Lake area. The tactics deployed in this area will provide options for our firefighting operations depending on how the fire reacts to the changing weather conditions in this area.
Preparations continue for the community of Mammoth Lakes as winds push the Creek Fire to the northeast. Management Action Points (MAPs) have been established as virtual lines on the map in relation to fire location. If the fire crosses any of these MAPs, Emergency Officials will enact appropriate actions to protect life and property. All concerned in this specific region can visit the Sierra National Forest Facebook page, or use the following link for information: https://creek-fire-preparedness-monomammoth.hub.arcgis.com
The number of evacuated residents due to the fire is still approximately 11,000. As a result of the reduced evacuation orders, the Red Cross Temporary Evacuation Facility at the Mariposa Fairgrounds has been closed. Please visit the Sheriff’s website (QR code and complete web address below in yellow highlight) for current updates on evacuation orders and warnings. Damage assessments are approximately 58% complete; the county will notify property owners directly as information becomes available.
As weather conditions allow air operations to resume, please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction; keep drones away from the fire and firefighting operations. If you fly, we can’t! Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert!
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 Wednesday at 7pm via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/
Damage Inspection:
* Damage inspection teams are evaluating structures; assessments are approximately 58% complete. Madera County Sheriff’s Office is contacting property owners directly. A website is available for Fresno County properties that have been assessed to date: https://calfire-forestry.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1933470ef8ea4c7e9cede56adf54efe1&extent=-13377356.4387%2C4419677.6073%2C-13142541.8878%2C4523937.7139%2C102100.
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 King’s Canyon National Park, and north to Inyo National Forest. See: tfr.faa.gov
Evacuation Warnings:
Fresno County: Community of Prather. South of Little Sandy / Lodge Rd. North East of Tollhouse Rd. North of Millerton Rd. / Nicholas Rd. East Auberry Rd.
Madera County: O’Neals, Walker Grade, and Fish Camp. 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: Prather Roundabout, Tollhouse Road at Pittman Hill Road, Maxon Road at Trimmer Springs Road, Auberry Road at Jose Basin Road, Watts Valley Road at Maxon Road, SR-168 at Lodge Road
Madera County: Road 222 at 229A, Road 222 at Road 235, Road 225 at Road 274, Road 233 at Peckinpah Acres, Road 274 from Beasore Road to Central Camp, Road 632 at Buckskin
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
Damage Assessment Map:
Fresno County and Madera County:
To view an interactive damage assessment map for Fresno County and Madera County, open the following link:
Fresno County Damage Assessment Map
Missing Persons:
Fresno County Sheriff 559-600-3111
Madera County Sheriff 559-658-2555
National Forest Closures:
US Forest Service temporarily closes Southern California Forests, including the Sierra National Forest. Regional Order Number 20-12 Emergency Forest Closure.
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: 263
Water Tenders: 65
Helicopters: 18
Hand Crews: 42
Dozers: 76
Other: 665
Total Personnel: 2,878
Air Tankers: Numerous firefighting air tankers are flying fire suppression missions as 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 Air National Guard.
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.
To learn more about wildfire preparedness visit:
Date: 09/17/2020 Time: 9:00
Creek Fire Incident Briefing September 18
Related Incident:
Publication Type: Announcement
Creek Fire Incident Briefing will be aired this evening starting at 7 PM on the Sierra National Forest Facebook page > https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF
Creek Fire Incident Briefing September 16
Related Incident:
Publication Type: Announcement
Creek Fire Incident Briefing will be aired this evening starting at 7 PM on the Sierra National Forest Facebook page > https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF
Creek Fire Daily Update September 16 2020
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
CREEK FIRE
INCIDENT UPDATE
Date: 09/16/2020 Time: 9:00
INCIDENT FACTS
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: Great Basin Team 1, CAL FIRE 1, Fresno County Sheriff, Madera County Sheriff
Size: 220,025
Containment: 18%
Firefighter Injuries/Fatalities: 0
Expected Full Containment: 10/15/2020
Structures Threatened: 9,934
Structures Destroyed: 650*
Structures Damaged: 52*
CURRENT SITUATION
Current Situation:
Fresno County: A Fire Weather Watch is in effect Thursday afternoon through Friday. Firefighters are preparing for a significant weather change across the fire area as the high-pressure system that has been over the area moves east. A low-pressure system moving over California will bring clear air, gusty winds and cooler temperatures at the higher elevations. These conditions will give the fire a chance to become more active and begin pushing it toward lines that have not yet been wind tested.
The weather will affect several conditions on the fireline. Currently, in many areas of the fire, the flames are low intensity and slowly eating away fuels on the surface. Since all the vegetation has not been consumed, as the winds pick up, the intensity of fire will grow as it is pushed toward lines. This will test the established perimeter line. Firefighters have been improving containment lines established during the incident and several shaded fuel breaks constructed prior to the Creek fire to stop or divert fire spread.
A tactical firing operation that began yesterday in Cherry Valley will continue today. This operation will tie the fire edge into the dozer line that has been in place for several days. The plan is to fire when appropriate and build direct line on the fire’s edge whenever it is safe to do so. This operation will burn out approximately 5,000 acres of fuel between the dozer line and the fire. The objective is to keep the fire out of Blue Canyon, ultimately protecting Shaver Lake, and to establish solid control lines.
Safety is always a primary concern for firefighters. The winds are expected to cause multiple weakened and dead trees in the fire area to fall. The effort to remove the trees near the fireline and roadways has been ongoing. Lower temperatures at the higher elevations could also be a problem. The cooler air will flow down the San Joaquin River drainage and bring high winds to the lines at the bottom of the drainage.
There are over 250 miles of fireline to be improved or constructed. This includes dozer line protecting the last Sugar Pine stand in the state. This ½ acre of Sugar Pine is expected to repopulate the species throughout California.
Madera County: Estimated containment for the fire has increased to 18%. The weather conditions yesterday afternoon brought more of a southwest wind, which allowed for some clearing of the smoke conditions along the west side of the fire. Today’s weather conditions will feature lower humidity levels which may fall below 10% relative humidity, with very little recovery overnight. This dry air coupled with clearing smoke conditions may lead to increased fire activity this afternoon, especially along the northern fire perimeter. Wind conditions will increase Thursday afternoon into Friday in the higher elevations of the Sierra National Forest further supporting fire spread on the north and northeast flanks.
Road clearing operations continue along the 81 Road and Mammoth Pools Road. This will eventually provide safer access to the northern fire perimeter for the fire crews. Operations also continue to remove an estimated 1,500 cattle remaining in the fire area. Beekeepers are working on removing active beehives from along the fire lines, which will allow crews to work in those areas.
A major factor in containment progress along the perimeter are snag patches. These patches are areas of dead trees which have been burned but remain standing. These trees are a constant safety threat to fire crews and the greatest threats need to be felled. Residents returning to evacuated areas are advised to avoid these areas and to be aware of the danger of falling trees. Damage assessments are approximately 55% complete; the county will notify property owners directly as information becomes available.
The Madera County Sheriff’s office has again lifted evacuation orders, reducing the number of evacuated residents to approximately 11,000. As a result of the reduced evacuation orders, the Red Cross Temporary Evacuation Facility at the Mariposa Fairgrounds has been closed. Please visit the Sheriff’s website (QR code and complete web address below in yellow highlight) for current updates on evacuation orders and warnings.
Air operations are resuming missions slated for today. Please respect the Temporary Flight Restriction; keep drones away from the fire and firefighting operations. If you fly, we can’t! Don’t be the reason a firefighting air mission has to divert!
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 Wednesday at 7pm via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF/
Damage Inspection:
* Damage inspection teams are evaluating structures; assessments are approximately 55% complete. Madera County Sheriff’s Office is contacting property owners directly. A website is available for Fresno County properties that have been assessed to date: https://calfire-forestry.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1933470ef8ea4c7e9cede56adf54efe1&extent=-13377356.4387%2C4419677.6073%2C-13142541.8878%2C4523937.7139%2C102100.
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 King’s Canyon National Park, and north to Inyo National Forest. See: tfr.faa.gov
Evacuation Warnings:
Fresno County: Community of Prather. South of Little Sandy / Lodge Rd. North East of Tollhouse Rd. North of Millerton Rd. / Nicholas Rd. East Auberry Rd.
Madera County: O’Neals, Walker Grade, and Fish Camp. 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: Prather Roundabout, Tollhouse Road at Pittman Hill Road, Maxon Road at Trimmer Springs Road, Auberry Road at Jose Basin Road, Watts Valley Road at Maxon Road, SR-168 at Lodge Road
Madera County: Road 222 at 229A, Road 222 at Road 235, Road 225 at Road 274, Road 274 to Beashore Road, Road 274 at Central Camp, Road 632 at Buckskin
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
Damage Assessment Map:
Fresno County and Madera County:
To view an interactive damage assessment map for Fresno County and Madera County, open the following link:
Fresno County Damage Assessment Map
Missing Persons:
Forest Service Temporarily Closes All National Forests in California
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
Forest Service Temporarily Closes All National Forests in California
Contact(s): Jonathan Groveman, (707) 562-8995
VALLEJO, Calif., September 9, 2020—Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing a temporary closure of an additional ten National Forests, meaning all eighteen National Forests in California are now closed. The closure of the additional ten forests will be effective at 5:00 pm today. These additional forests include the Eldorado National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, Plumas National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Tahoe National Forest, and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. This decision will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change.
We had closed eight National Forests on Monday evening, Sept. 7, 2020. Explosive growth of fires throughout California during the day and late evening of Sept. 8th led to this updated decision.
“The number of large fires and extreme fire behavior we are seeing across the State is historic," said Regional Forester Randy Moore. "These temporary closures are necessary to protect the public and our firefighters, and we will keep them in place until conditions improve and we are confident that National Forest visitors can recreate safely. I ask all Californians and visitors to take these closures and evacuations seriously for their own safety and to allow our firefighters to focus on the mission of safely suppressing these fires."
The Forest Service thanks our partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding of this monumental fire threat. It is critical that all Californians and national forest visitors follow these important closures and restrictions for their own safety and the safety of our firefighters. Citizens with specific questions within their area may call their local forests for more information.
The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R5.
Creek Fire News Release Donation Information
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
The Creek Fire Incident Management Teams continue to receive inquiries into how and what donations firefighters and community members are in need of. While the outpouring of support is truly appreciated, our Incident Command Posts and incident bases are set up to provide excellent logistical support, including food and other supplies, to first responders for the duration of the incident.
Despite best intentions, unsolicited donation items are not needed at this time and can unintentionally overwhelm relief locations, especially when donating food. Inside our incident bases, everything is carefully regulated by local health and safety ordinances, as well as strict adherence to COVID-19 regulations.
Any residents who wish to make donations are encouraged to contact your local relief organizations of choice to see if they are accepting assistance, and make the appropriate arrangements.
Residents are asked to be READY: Create and maintain defensible space and harden your home against flying embers. Get SET: Prepare your family and home ahead of time for the possibility of having to evacuate. Be ready to GO! Take the evacuation steps necessary to give your family and home the best chance of surviving a wildfire. Visit www.readyforwildfire.org for more information.
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Creek Fire News Release Evacuation Reminder
Related Incident:
Publication Type: News
The Creek Fire Incident Management Teams would like to take this time to remind the public about the importance of adhering to all evacuations and road closures that local authorities put out. Rumors regarding possible permits or passes for certain residents are not correct. It is imperative that all public follows the evacuation orders and warnings issued in their respective area.
As our fire crews continue to work hard to fight this fire, we rely on the community’s help by strictly following the safety guidelines that we publish for your protection, as well as the firefighters’ welfare.
For further evacuation information, please go to our evacuation map: https://nifc.map.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=28ce52cb86bf49dea0adef5a78b3c1b5.