Creek Fire updates: Fire active near Cassidy Meadows; assistance services move online

The Creek Fire continues to burn and was active in the northeast on Tuesday, near Cassidy Meadows and south of the San Joaquin River.

On the west side of the wildfire, crews worked to secure containment lines from the San Joaquin River north to Little Shuteye Peak area, where there was little fire activity.

Fire officials as of Wednesday evening reported that the Creek Fire was at 337,665 acres with 55% containmen.

The cause of the fire that started Sept. 4 near Big Creek remains under investigation.

There are 964 personnel working on the incident.

▪ The SQF Complex Fire (the Castle and Shotgun fires) was reported at 70% containment Wednesday morning.. The fires, which have been burning near Sequoia National Park since Aug. 19, gained less than 200 acres overnight and had burned 167,625 acres.

▪ Containment remains at 60% for the Bullfrog Fire near Dinkey Creek. The fire has burned 1,185 acres.

Reentry plans continue for Arnold/Beasore Meadows and Central Camp communities

Reentry is being planned for residents of the Central Camp community, along with additional trips into the Arnold and Beasore Meadow communities to allow them to collect belongings and/or winterize their cabins.

Escort access into all areas happens Oct. 23, with proper permits. Residents will be escorted out of Arnold/Beasore Meadows Oct. 25 and Central Camp Oct. 26.

Each community has a predesignated meeting point, where residents will be briefed at 9 a.m. before being escorted in. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office and Sierra National Forest will provide permits. Residents should be prepared and bring what they need to complete winterization of their home/property.

Arnold Meadows residents will meet at the Old Mill Compound in North Fork, next to Madera County Fire Station No. 11.

Beasore Meadows and Central Camp residents will meet at the Bass Lake Courthouse on Road 274/Road 222.

General access to the Sierra National Forest remains closed. Anyone found outside the private property boundaries will be subject to citation and removal from the forest.

Clovis Assistance Center closed; services online

Of note to residents and property owners, the multi-agency Local Assistance Center at the Clovis has closed.

The center assisted with critical document replacement and social services, economic recovery financial services, motor vehicle and mental health services, healthcare and American Red Cross.

All services can still be accessed through Fresno County’s online emergency site.

Unhealthy air for sensitive groups

While the region has experienced several days of relatively moderate air quality, that could begin to change on Wednesday.

Smoke from the state’s various wildfires is forecast to spread south and west across the area in response to a developing offshore flow pattern and again the National Weather Service is elevated fire risks, especially in the Sierra zones north of Kings Canyon.

The air quality was forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive groups in Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties on Wednesday and moderate for all other counties in the region.

As of 7 a.m., Fresno’s Air Quality Index was leveling between 99 and 129, with the worst readings coming in and around the Tower District area. To compare, the AQI peaked just short of 100 on Tuesday afternoon, according to stats from IQAir.

The PM2.5. concentration was trending slightly higher than on Tuesday, though still below level three, where sensitive individuals are urged to exercise indoors or avoid vigorous activities.

This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 8:35 AM with the headline "Creek Fire updates: Fire active near Cassidy Meadows; assistance services move online."