Wildfire erupts near Avocado Lake

Firefighters battled a blaze Sunday afternoon near Avocado Lake in eastern Fresno County, fire officials said.

The fire broke out around 4:38 p.m. By early evening its progress was stopped at 100 acres, said Dustin Hail, division chief.

Capt. David Martin said some power lines were down in the area north of Minkler, but it was unclear if they were the “high-tension” kind.

The downed lines caused 811 customers to lose power in the area, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said.

Several structures were threatened for a time, Hail said.

Martin said Cal Fire is currently operating with two hand crews, one bulldozer, one water tender, nine engines, three battalion chiefs, four air tankers, two helicopters and one air attack.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Wildfire erupts near Avocado Lake."