Creek Fire update, Nov. 5: Snow and rain are coming. Why firefighters are worried
Fire managers on the Creek Fire prepared for strong winds on Thursday night that, coupled with critically dry fuels, could worsen the ongoing fire.
The Creek Fire, the largest single wildfire in California history, reached 379,335 acres on Thursday morning. The fire increased by about 500 acres overnight, about six miles southwest of Mammoth, on the northeast corner east of Pond Lilly Lake and the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River.
It remained 70% contained.
A 14-person team from Inyo National Forest has been flying or hiking into the Mammoth area daily to monitor the fire.
On the bright side, the oncoming cold front will “mellow fire behavior,” the daily report from the U.S. Forest Service predicts. Officials expect temperatures will drop into the 30s and 40s, and some snow and rain on Friday and Saturday will fall in areas of higher elevation.
Crews have repaired about 430 miles of the approximately 600 miles of fireline built to contain the fire. The Creek Fire has been raging since Sept. 4. Its cause is still under investigation, and it is not expected to be fully contained until Nov. 15.
FEMA registration center open
A Federal Emergency Management Agency Mobile Registration Intake Center opened Wednesday to serve Creek Fire survivors. The unit, located at the Heritage Center, 3115 N. Millbrook Ave., Fresno, will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fire survivors will find out if they are eligible for financial assistance like rent, home repair, home replacement, and other needs such as childcare, transportation, medical, funeral, or dental expenses by registering with FEMA.
You can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov; by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or downloading the FEMA app.
The deadline to register is Dec. 16.
The agency has not had answers for everyone, however. According to California Assemblymember Jim Patterson, at least 100 families who lost their cabins to the Creek Fire are being denied cleanup assistance from the federal government.
Families have not yet received a straightforward answer from local or federal officials about whether they qualify for debris cleanup, which could cost cabin owners upwards of $60,000.
“At this time, we are working through to get these questions answered,” a FEMA spokeswoman told The Bee on Wednesday.
SQF Complex, Sequoia National Park openings
The SQF Complex Fire stood at 170,682 acres and 80% containment on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The combined Castle and Shotgun Fires were caused by lightning.
California Incident Management Team 13 took over command of the fire on Wednesday. The team has been there before, so the transition “will be a seamless process,” the U.S. Forest Service reported Thursday. They still expect to contain the fire by Nov. 20.
The new cold front will bring a snowstorm on Friday, the Forest Service reports. Fire operations will depend on how that weather change impacts the fire’s behavior.
Firefighters most recently completed a fireline by hand between several small lakes and a trail in the Hockett Meadow area, in the northwest corner where the fire has been most active. Helicopters have been making water drops in that area, too.
A helicopter crew also completed a fireline along the south end of the Rattlesnake Fire to prevent it from entering the Golden Trout Area, according to the daily report.
The wildfire no longer threatens the Mineral King valley or the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River drainage. The South Fork, Mineral King, and wilderness closures remain in effect at Sequoia National Park.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 8:44 AM.