Garza Fire is 97% contained, spreading to nearly 49,000 acres
The 48,889-acre Garza Fire was 97 percent contained as of 3:09 p.m. Tuesday and was no longer considered a threat to any other structures.
One building, a hunting cabin, was destroyed in the blaze that began July 9 off Tar Canyon Road near Avenal. Evacuation warnings were lifted Saturday.
Some 1,200 firefighters have battled the blaze, managing to control the fire’s movement to the northwest.
Smoke continues to fill the Valley and beyond, prompting air-quality warnings. That risk is expected to remain as pockets of vegetation burn.
Staff writer Connor McPherson contributed to this story. Larry Valenzuela: 559-441-6084, @larryvalwork
This story was originally published July 15, 2017 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Garza Fire is 97% contained, spreading to nearly 49,000 acres."