1,250-acre wildfire east of Springville forces evacuations

A wildfire in the mountains above Springville in Tulare County has forced the evacuation of seven small communities, officials said Tuesday.

The Pier Fire started overnight along Highway 190 east of Springville and near the Wishon Power House in the Tule River canyon. It was reported about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

By mid-afternoon the fire had spread to 1,250 acres on both sides of the highway.

Mandatory evacuations were in effect for Pierpoint Springs, Wishon, Doyle Springs, Alpine, Sequoia Crest, Cedar Slope and Camp Nelson. Ponderosa was under a voluntary evacuation.

Highway 190 was closed just east of Springville at the turnoff to Balch Park. The highway also was closed heading west in the area of Ponderosa.

Residents in the affected communities are advised to drive east on Highway 190 to the Western Divide Highway. An evacuation center has been established at Porterville College.

No giant sequoias are in the immediate path of the fire, officials said. But Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest and Balch Park, where there are giant sequoia trees, are temporarily closed.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Tulare County Fire Department are in unified command, a news release said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 12:20 PM with the headline "1,250-acre wildfire east of Springville forces evacuations."