Creek Fire update: After burning for three months, will fire be fully contained soon?
On Friday morning, the Creek Fire remained subdued, and the team previously managing the fire is headed back to Alaska.
The California Interagency Incident Management Team 10 has taken over command of the fire from the Alaska Incident Management Team at 7 a.m. on Friday, after a day of shadowing on Thursday. A total of 428 people were working on the fire Friday.
The number of personnel will likely keep decreasing, according to Thursday’s Facebook briefing, because much of the suppression repair has been completed. According to the latest update, about 75% of the work along the fireline has been completed. Some work will have to continue next year, due to the snow.
The fire remains 70% contained and occupies 379,802 acres around Big Creek, Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Mammoth Pool, and the San Joaquin River Canyon. It has been burning since Sept. 4, and the cause remains under investigation. Full containment is still expected by Nov. 15.
The only portion of the fire that is not fully contained, on the north end, has seen no growth in the last week, thanks to rocky terrain and recent precipitation. Pockets of heavy fuels, like logs, will continue smoldering until more rain or snowfalls.
The U.S. Forest Service expected light precipitation late Friday, with maybe an inch of snow in elevations above 8,000 feet.
Thursday’s sunny day caused more snow to melt, but that turns to ice on the road, so fire officials urged caution, especially around Shaver Lake. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will slowly rise above average by the start of next week.
The Sierra National Forest remains closed through Nov. 24.
The SQF Complex fire remains at 174,178 acres and 80% containment. Full containment is still expected by Nov. 20.
The California Interagency Incident Management Team 13 is preparing to depart the fire on Saturday, so the Sequoia National Forest can take over starting Saturday afternoon.
Legal help available for Creek Fire victims
The governor’s Officer of Emergency Services is partnering with FEMA and the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division to offer free legal help for disaster survivors. Creek Fire survivors can call the hotline at 888-382-3406, for services in both English and Spanish.
The volunteer lawyers can help with mortgage issues, landlord-tenant problems, securing government benefits, home repairs, insurance claims and replacement of legal documents.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 8:08 AM.