Creek Fire updates: More evacuation orders lifted; 313,660 acres burned, 49% contained
As the Creek Fire continues to move north, where the fuels are very dry, it had burned a total of 313,660 acres as of Friday evening, according to Cal Fire.
Containment was at 49%, as it was Saturday morning.
The fire, which has been burning in and around the Sierra National Forest since Sept. 4, added about 270 acres from Friday morning when the fire had burned 311,793 acres. About 2,025 firefighters are battling the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
As of Saturday morning, active burning continued within the Ansel Adams Wilderness, on the north side of the fire, according to the U.S. National Forest Service. That burning, though, was confined by “natural barriers.”
On the northwest, firefighters continue to try to contain the edge, while to the east of Central Camp and south of Little Shuteye Peak was expected to transition into patrol status within the next few days.
“Crews have begun “back hauling” (removing fire hose from the containment lines) south of Whiskey Falls as these areas enter patrol status,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. “Helicopters flew throughout the day (Friday) yesterday supporting fire operations.”
Sierra National Forest officials are allowing people and permit holders who were evacuated from campgrounds and camping areas earlier on as the Creek Fire began to burn, to return Saturday and Sunday to get their belongings.
Ten firefighter injuries have been reported related to the Creek Fire since it began, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Full containment is expected on Oct. 31.
1:55 p.m.: Weather dry, air quality unhealthy
Above-normal temperatures and overall dry conditions continued in and around the Creek Fire zone Saturday and will linger through the start of a new week, according to the National Weather Service.
“They are looking at hot, dry conditions continuing through until Monday,” meteorologist Modesto Vasquez said.
There is a dry air mass over the area, and humidity is pretty low, helping the fire to continue to burn. Smoke also continues to hang over the blaze, he said.
“Those guys are getting smoked up over night and in the daytime hours, too,” Vasquez said, adding that as a result, air quality in the area will continue to be unhealthy through Monday.
The smoke also means continued poor air quality in Fresno and surrounding areas on the Valley floor. The air quality in Fresno on Saturday was in the red category, which is unhealthy with a particulate matter of 2.5, he said.
In unhealthy conditions, everyone may feel adverse health effects, with those in sensitive groups facing more serious effects.
Particulate matter can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate chronic bronchitis, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
However, there is a cross low-pressure system coming in on the coast, Vasquez said, which will help push the smoke toward Northern California and Nevada.
“That’s when we’ll see some air quality improvement on Tuesday,” he said.
“It’s going to help the firefighting efforts because the temperatures are going to be cooling, and humidity will be increasing,” he said. “It will be a cooling trend.”
There is a chance of precipitation next weekend, Vasquez said.
9:55 a.m.: Evacuations lifted for three zones
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday morning lifted evacuations orders for three zones in the Creek Fire area, according to a news release.
Those zones include Zone F7D, which consists of both sides of Huntington Lake Road, east of its intersection with Old Railroad Grade Road, and west of its intersection with Camp Sierra Road. The zone’s east boundary ends west of the Big Creek Fire Station.
Evacuation orders have also been lifted for Zone F7G, for which its south boundary contains the north side of Huntington Lake Road and extends to the west to the San Joaquin River. The zone’s north boundary is Dam Six Lake and is a half-mile west of the intersection of Huntington Lake Road and Camp Sierra Road.
The third area where evacuation orders have been lifted include Zone F11A, for which its south boundary includes the end of Huntington Lodge Road as well as properties that lie south of the intersection of Huntington Lake and Black Point roads. The zone’s west boundary lies just east of Mushroom Rock.
The north boundary includes properties off Huntington Lake Road from its intersection with Black Point to Huntington Lake Road’s intersection with Bear Creek Tract. The east boundary includes the north shore of Huntington Lake until (excluding) Bear Creek Tract.
The Sheriff’s Office recommends residents view the interactive evacuation map.
Sierra National Forest System lands are temporarily closed under a closure order that goes into effect Saturday. The order will remain through Nov. 1.
Violations can result in a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual, and up to $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for up to six months, according to the order.
New fund created
A new fund has been created to help residents recover from the Creek Fire and to treat and manage the forest to ensure that mountain communities can be safe in the future.
The Central Sierra Resiliency Fund was announced Friday. It will be a long-term, local fund that will be restricted to ensure the money goes toward the efforts it’s meant to fund, according to Jacqueline McDonald Pucheu, chair of the Resiliency Fund Council.
“It’s going to be a pretty costly endeavor,” said Juli Stewart, a forester and Resiliency Council member.
The short-term concerns for those who have created the fund include the rain that could come soon and how that could impact the immediate restoration efforts.
“We want to make sure people have the knowledge and ability to stabilize their soil,” Stewart said.
The hope is that the fund will provide financial stability and professional support for treatments that are going to be effective for residents in the aftermath of the Creek Fire, she said. The effort will require the community to come together, and those behind the fund hope to partner with Forest Service, local tribes, and other local agencies.
The long-term hope is to rebuild and put in place measures that will help people become confident that another fire will not come through the area and devastate their homes and natural habitats again, Stewart said.
They want to build a foundation to start managing the forest in a way that is “fire resilient” to make sure residents “are going to be safe in the future,” she said. California can have a turning point, she said, with the new local approach the fund is hoping to get off the ground.
“We are able to put resources and money and emergency funding ... to treating our forest before it burns down instead of recovering from it,” Stewart said.
This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 9:07 AM.
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