Creek Fire live updates: Containment at 27%; Nunes, Magsig update residents
The Creek Fire consumed more than 6,000 acres overnight and has now burned 278,368 acres, Cal Fire said Sunday morning, while containment by the evening was announced at 27%.
The wildfire near Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake and Mammoth Pool in eastern Fresno and Madera counties is the seventh-largest wildfire in state history, passing the 2003 Cedar Fire (273,246 acres) in San Diego County.
Four of the five largest wildfires in the state have occurred this year, led by the August Complex Fire in the Mendocino National Forest at 833,967 acres. It is 34% contained. There have been 7,900 wildfires that have burned more 3.5 million acres in California, and since Aug. 15 there have been 26 fatalities and more than 5,800 structures destroyed.
Largest fires in state history:
August Complex, 2020; 836,871 acres
Mendocino Complex, 2018; 459,123 acres
SCU Lighning Complex, 2020; 396,624 acres
LNU Lightning Complex, 2020; 363,220 acres
North Complex, 2020; 291,200 acres
Thomas, 2017; 281,893
Creek, 2020; 278,368
As of Saturday night, damage assessment was 92% complete with 842 structures destroyed and 71 damaged. There were more than 8,000 structures still threatened by the Creek Fire.
The fire started Sept. 4. The cause is under investigation.
9 p.m.: Monday weather, and vehicle retrieval
Zack Tolby, the Creek Fire incident meteorologist, said during Sunday night’s update via Facebook Live that down-slope and ridge winds will kick in overnight in the fire region.
It will be warmer on Monday, in the 80s at the lower elevations and 70s at upper elevations. With that, up-slope winds will also be a factor by Monday morning.
Tolby said similar conditions are expected for the coming days, but the warmer weather predicted will not reach the same level as when the fire fist ignited. The weather has among crucial factors allowing firefighters get a handle on the fire.
The weather outlook for the region on Monday will cause smoke to become a problem once again. Tolby said crews are expecting about three miles of visibility, with some clearing in the afternoon.
As crews work through the weather, Madera County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joseph Wilder said that vehicle retrieval from Mammoth Pool is progressing. Two loads of cars were taken out Sunday.
Wilder said anyone with a car still in Mammoth Pool will be contacted by deputies, and residents should remain patient. He said there is a limit to the amount of people that can get up to the area per day.
8:30 p.m.: Assessments rise, but damage is heavy
Officials said in a Sunday night update on Facebook Live that damage inspection in the Creek Fire region has increased to 95%.
At the same time, an update was provided on the number of structures damaged. Marty Adell, incident commander for the Great Basin Team 1 provided this update:
▪ 39 single-family residences damaged and 501 destroyed
▪ four multiple-family residences damaged and five destroyed
▪ one mixed commercial/residential property damaged and 59 destroyed
▪ 12 commercial businesses damaged and 18 destroyed.
▪ 15 minor structures damaged 270 destroyed.
7:30 p.m.: Good news for Central Camp, containment increases
Containment of the Creek Fire increased to 27% while the acreage remained at 278,368, county, state and national officials said during Sunday night’s update.
There was good news for homes in Central Camp. Officials announced they have been able to hold the fire half a mile away. Crews are attempting to let the fire reach the containment line that was created to protect the community.
Tyler Monroe of the Great Basin Team 1 Operations Section, assured residents that “things are progressing very well around Central camp, and we don’t anticipate any problems.”
Pacific Gas and Electric spokesman Denny Boyles said about 300 personnel assigned to the incident are working to repair and otherwise clear equipment and trees to make it safer for crews and residents. He said 886 customers are still without power in the area.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to remain patient and refer to the fire maps in order to determine the latest on evacuations.
Entrance to the fire zones is under strict enforcement and assessed each day.
“We don’t want anybody to get hurt, seriously injured, burned or killed because we reduced status of the zone too soon,” Fresno County Sheriff’s Lt. Kathy Curtice said.
4:30 p.m.: Devin Nunes, Supervisor Magsig host call
U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes and Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig hosted a brief phone conference on Sunday to provide residents with the latest details on the local wildfires.
The two spoke about firefighters’ ongoing efforts to protect structures from the Creek and SQF Complex fires, which span four counties in the Sierra. Nunes, R-Tulare, called the damage “severe.”
The representative also remarked about the loss of timber mills in the central Valley region and the need for them to dispose of trees, especially after thousands of them are being cleared from areas devastated by fires.
Supervisor Magsig, on the call, said as much as “3 million pounds per acre” of potential fire fuels have been cleared from the ground in recent fire crew work around the Creek Fire.
The supervisor also said the county will work closely with residents — not only when it’s time to rebuild their homes, but also to help hem get to their property to retrieve valuable items.
It was unknown how many people listened in on the call. Neither Nunes nor Magsig took any questions.
2:15 p.m.: SQF Fire evacuations downgraded
One week after fire threatened the community of Three Rivers, some evacuation orders from the SQF Complex Fire were downgraded to warnings.
The warnings are in place for the Three Rivers areas of Cherokee Oaks, Old Three Rivers Road, portions of South Fork Drive, north of Conley Bridge (just south of Heidi Drive) and the South Forks Estates.
The change means residents can return to their properties, although they are cautioned to be alert should fire conditions change, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. The announcement was effective at 1 p.m. Sunday.
1:30 p.m.: Big gains on Bullfrog Fire
The Bullfrog Fire, burning in the Sequoia National Fire about 43 miles northeast of Clovis on the eastern fringe of the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, is at 20% containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The wildfire, which started Sept. 9, has burned 890 acres. The cause is under investigation.
Fire crews were to continue suppression and containment work Sunday along the southeast edge of the wildfire, which has been fueled by timber, brush and short grass. The plan is to use a minimal impact suppression tactic using natural features including trails and creeks as fire breaks, and a direct containment approach will be used where firefighter safety permits.
A handline to protect Courtright Village if the fire moves south has been completed – the village is to the northwest of Courtright Reservoir and includes 50 residential structures.
Fire behavior remains low to moderate due to an inversion layer over the fire, according to Forest Service officials. A specialized Cobra helicopter is being used to map the fire using infra-red imagery and assist in a focused ground attack.
11:45 a.m.: Yosemite closed, but through roads open
Yosemite National Park remains closed because of hazardous air quality due to nearby wildfires.
But through roads are now accessible for drive-through vehicle traffic, and limited services are available throughout the park.
The accessible roads through Yosemite are Wawona Road (continuation of Highway 41), El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140) and the Big Oak Flat and Tioga roads (continuation of Highway 120).
Limited restroom facilities are available on all road corridors, but park visitors should be prepared to drive through without stopping, according to park officials.
Glacier Point Road and Mariposa Grove Road remain closed, as do all lodging facilities, campgrounds, restaurants and visitor centers.
Hiking, cycling, climbing and camping are prohibited.
The Air Quality Index for Yosemite late Sunday morning was 178, according to IQAir, an unhealthy level.
Yosemite will reopen when air quality conditions improve and allow for the health and safety of park visitors and employees.
Updated road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park are available 24 hours a day at 209-372-0200 (press 1) and nps.gov/pose
8 a.m.: SQF Fire up to 135,802 acres
The SQF Complex Fire burning in the Sequoia National Forest south of the Creek Fire burned 2,000 more acres overnight to 135,802 acres and remains 14% contained.
In the east zone, active fire behavior was mostly on the southern end of the fire from Camp Nelson to the Kern River. All active fire edges in this area did see growth.
Fire crews – there are 1,481 personnel working the wildfire – are focused on point protection for structures that are immediately threatened. Structure assessments are being conducted and crews continue to monitor the communities of Sequoia Crest, Alpine, and Cedar Slope where the possibility of flare-ups remains.
The wildfire is a combination of the Castle and Shotgun fires.
Evacuation orders remain in place for the following communities:
Ponderosa
Pyles Boys Camp
South Fork
Redwood Drive
Alpine Village
Sequoia Crest
Doyle Springs
Highway 190 south from the intersection of Balch Park Road, north to Blue Ridge Lookout, east to Moses Mountain, and south to Highway 190 at Mahogany Flat
Upper Tule River Corridor (Camp Nelson, Pierpoint, Coy Flat, Mountain Aire)
Cedar Slope
Portions of Three Rivers, including south and east from 198, east to south of the Fork Campground, including South Fork Drive, Horn, Cinnamon Canyon, and Cahoon Mountain, and adjacent roads
Silver City
Mineral King
