The wildfire burning just west of Yosemite National Park near Midpines in Mariposa County grew by over 500 acres throughout Tuesday, measuring at just over 18,532 acres with 26% containment, Cal Fire said.

The Oak Fire in Mariposa County has burned down 55 structures and threatened over 2,000 other structures. The cause remains under investigation.

One home in the fire’s path on Triangle Road was leveled but for a chimney, a wood-burning stove and a propane tank in what had been a corner of the house. Among the gray ashes and twisted remains were the remnants of a few recognizable things: a washer and dryer, a filing cabinet, some keys.

While extreme drought conditions, tough terrain and an abundance of dry, dead trees allowed the fire to spread quickly, slightly elevated humidity levels which lowered temperatures in the area aided in the firefight, Cal Fire said. As of Tuesday evening, an infared flight over the fire showed minimal heat in Lushmeadows and surrounding communities which are at risk. Firefighting crews were also able to hold and improve fire defenses in the Mariposa Pines area.

US Forest Service officials barred people from entering all of the Sierra National Forest within the Oak Fire’s perimeter through Aug. 19, amounting to a huge swath of forestland.

The blaze, California’s largest wildfire of the year so far, has raged since last week. Just hours after the fire sparked, over 5,000 people were evacuated, but no injuries or fatalities have been reported, Cal Fire said. An evacuation center was opened at Mariposa Elementary School. By Tuesday evening, several evacuation orders were reduced to fire advice.

“The faster we can reinforce the line to the south and the faster we can cool the hotspots around the structures, the faster we can get residents back in,” said Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Justin Macomb, adding he’d grown more optimistic Monday than in previous days.

In the hills outside Mariposa, where the fire devoured houses in small towns like Bootjack, some areas were charred piles of rubble and surviving chimneys while other homes and hillsides were spared.

Farther east, on Jerseydale Road in the hills northeast of Mariposa, the landscape turned ashen with little but a forest of mostly charred pine and oak trees left behind.

Nearby, Cal Fire was focusing its efforts on a burning mountain with bulldozers, hand crews and helicopters battling the smoky blaze. Helicopters filled their tanks in a pond behind homes on Jerseydale Road and headed toward where the fire remained most active.

While firefighters focused on the firefight in the Jerseydale area Tuesday, in places where the fire had already delivered its devastation, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and other utility crews were busy inspecting damage and starting to restore service.

Cal Fire reported Monday was a successful day, with aircraft and fire crews managing to keep spread to a minimum. Helicopters dropped 300,000 gallons of water on the fire Monday, Cal Fire said.

The Oak Fire comes just two weeks after the start of the Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park. That fire had burned 4,875 acres and was 87% contained as of Tuesday. Over 3,000 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, and more crews will be sent north to assist.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory through at least Wednesday. Officials on Monday said they expected air quality to remain in the good to moderate range, with smoke “expected to remain aloft,” though hazy skies might be visible.

The Bay Area office of the National Weather Service said Monday that smoke was not expected at elevations below 10,000 to 12,000 feet, and most people in the area likely would not be able to smell it.

Jordan Parker (he/him) and Michael Cabanatuan (he/him) are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jordan.parker@sfchronicle.com mabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jparkerwrites @ctuan

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June 16, 2021

A photo courtesy of the San Francisco Fire by Christopher G. Yock.

Courtesy of the San Francisco Fire

A 21-year-old veteran from the San Francisco Fire Department died on the morning of Jan.

Christopher G. Yock, 58, died at home just hours after fighting the incident with a “medical emergency,” which a San Francisco Fire spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle was cardiac arrest. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst, but operate independently.)

The fire broke out on the top floor of SFO’s private parking garage, affecting eight cars and treating one person for shortness of breath. The fire was extinguished after an hour.

Yock, a San Rafael resident, was remembered as a dedicated firefighter, San Francisco lover, and “beloved fire chief” with an intimate knowledge of the local food scene, according to his obituary. He leaves behind his son Cayden and siblings Jennifer and Jeffery.

A vigil will be held on Thursday at 4 p.m. at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco and donations can be made to a scholarship fund for Cayden. There will also be a memorial service in St. Ignatius on Friday at 1 p.m.

SFGATE news editor Amy Graff contributed to this story.

Joshua Bote is Assistant News Editor at SFGATE. He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley, and previously worked as a reporter for USA Today and a music writer for NPR. Email: joshua.bote@sfgate.com

The post San Francisco firefighter useless after combating ‘vital’ SFO parking storage blaze appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

KYBURZ (CBS SF) – Gusty winds from the canyon lashed the Caldor fire along Highway 50 as firefighters lit flames near the mountainous community of Kyburz early Thursday in an attempt to keep the fire from advancing toward densely populated Lake Tahoe. Pelvis to slow down.

The winds and burning scaly wood and brush threw up clouds of embers well in front of the main fire and lit point fires beyond the containment lines. One of those larger point fires broke out along Wrights Lake Road north of the freeway and had grown to over 700 acres by Wednesday evening.

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“The wind was blowing from the southwest all day, challenging our lines,” said Eric Schwab, director of operations at Cal Fire, during a community update on Wednesday evening. “Unfortunately, one point fire threw another point fire over Wright Lakes Road. We are currently trying to contain it. It’s about 700 acres … We’re chasing this one. It moves sideways. “

Point fires were a challenge.

“Ninety out of 100 embers that go out and end up in the fuel will create an ignition that will cause us to mitigate this,” said Steve Volmer, the chief fire behavior analyst working on the fire.

The fire burns in an area that was not lit by a major fire or flames before the 1940s.

“We’re looking at very dense wood, trees that are very large in diameter – 40 inches in diameter,” said Volmer. “Heavy dead and run down fuels. That causes us some control problems. These dead and knocked down materials are very receptive. They are extremely dry … A very absorbent burning bed. ”

The most intense firefight was fought on the eastern edge of the fire. To the west, the crews used backfiring to gain better control of the fire and stop it from spreading along the northern and central bifurcation of the Cosumnes River.

By Thursday morning, the fire had grown to 136,643 acres with a 12 percent containment. It devastated the mountain community of Grizzly Flats and destroyed at least 465 homes in the fire zone.

Almost 3,000 firefighters were involved in the firefight, aided by a steady stream of helicopters and air tankers dumping flame retardants and water.

According to meteorologist Jim Dudley, firefighters will also be assisted by a change in wind conditions over the next three days. The gusty southwest winds in the afternoon will calm down.

“This southerly wind current, which was fed into the fire area and helps to drive the south to south-westerly winds in the afternoon, will cease,” he said. “We will have very light winds at high altitudes. On the ridge tops and the very critical east side of the fire, we will not have the supportive effect of the south-westerly winds. “

The wind shift will help thin the layer of smoke over Lake Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City on the west bank had the worst air pollution in the country on Wednesday lunchtime, scoring 334 in the “dangerous” category on the Air Quality Index 0-500, according to AirNow, a partnership between federal, state and local airline agencies.

Just south of Tahoe, Rick Nelson and his wife Diane had planned to hold a weekend wedding at Fallen Leaf Lake, where his daughter and her fiancé had met. However, the smoke caused most of the community to leave. The sun was an eerie blood orange and the swimmers and boats in the lake were obscured by mist on Tuesday.

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In the end, the Nelsons spent two days arranging the relocation of the wedding from Glacier Lake several hours southwest to the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Everyone is trying to escape the smoke. And I think it’s going to be a reality for us, unfortunately, ”said Diane Nelson. “I just think the smoke and fires got bigger, hotter and faster.”

While thousands of residents were forced to flee, a suspected looter was arrested on Wednesday while on patrol in the evacuation area.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said a suspicious man was found on the surveillance camera of a Pollock Pines resident.

“We received a call from a citizen who was actually watching one of their surveillance cameras,” said Sgt. Eric Palmberg of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

MPs soon met in the field and stopped the man. He was found with items that MPs believed had been stolen.

This man, identified as 51-year-old Brandon Massey, has since been arrested and is now charged, among other things, with looting during the State of Emergency and possession of a controlled substance.

CALDOR FIRE: Information on incidents, evacuations, maps

Current mandatory evacuations include:

• Grizzly Flats: The areas on Grizzly Flats Road east of Kendra Way in Grizzly Flats Proper. The Diamond Railroad Grade, Old School House, Sweeney Road, Caldor Road, and Steely Ridge areas.
• Grizzly Flats Road east of Four Corners in Somerset in Grizzly Flats Proper.
• The areas of Myers Lane, Varmet Ridge Road, Rodwell Canyon Road, Snowbird Lane, and Mehwald Lane.
• East of Sly Park Road between Highway 50 and the Mormon Emigrant Trail to Ice House Road. These include the Pacific House and Fresh Pond communities.
• North of Highway 50, east of Forebay Road to Ice House Road.
• Junction of Perry Creek and Hawk Haven, the east side of Fairplay Road from Perry Creek South to Cedarville Road. These include Slug Gulch, Omo Ranch, and all roads away from Slug Gulch and Omo Ranch.
• All streets of Omo Ranch from Cedarville Road to Hwy 88.
• The area between Highway 88 and the Mormon Emigrant Trail
• South of Highway 50 from Snows Road to Ice House Road.
• Between Highway 50 and Slab Creek from Snows Road to Ice House Road.
• South of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road. This also includes the community of Kyburz.
• North of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road with the Ice House Reservoir, Union Valley Reservoir and Loon Lake.
• Silver Fork Road in Kyburz east to Twin Bridges.
• North and south in a line extending from Twin Bridges to the Placer County Line and south to the Amador County Line.
• Areas south of Farnham Ridge Road and east of Bridgeport School Road to the Amador County Line.

REMINDER: Highway 50 remains closed between Sly Park and Meyers due to #CaldorFire. Listen to your local authorities and know alternative routes. Check @ CaltransDist3 for the latest updates. https://t.co/uvpiHqQn5n pic.twitter.com/hjreey5n6p

– Cal JA (@Cal_OES) August 23, 2021

Evacuations Warnings for El Dorado County and Amador County along with Road closures You will find here.

MORE NEWS: UPDATE: San Jose neighborhood remains evacuated until noon after gas leak

© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report

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QUINCY, Plumas County (CBS SF) – Blown fuses on a Pacific gas and power line are being investigated for a possible cause of the Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas counties, which exploded on 40,500 acres Monday night.

Meanwhile, new evacuations were underway in several rural communities as the fire progressed in the rugged terrain near the Bucks Lake Wilderness Area.

During the Cal Fire’s Sunday night briefing, the fire spanned 18,702 acres. After the last update from Cal Fire on Monday evening, the burn zone had grown to 40,500 acres. The fire is contained 15%.

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On Monday, Cal Fire said the Dixie Fire was very active and had created a large column of smoke. Firefighters built control lines to reinforce the perimeter and continued to fight aggressively from the air and the ground.

Authorities said ground crews were working to strengthen the emergency lines from Chips Creek to High Lakes. Air resources, including air tankers, very large air tankers, and medium Type 2 helicopters, and Type 1 heavy helicopters flew over the fire, assisting ground suppression efforts.

On Monday night, Cal Fire anticipates possible isolated thunderstorms in the entire area. The crews will continue to work to expand and strengthen the current direct and indirect control lines.

Dixie fire: Cal Fire Incident Report, evacuation information, road closures

PG&E filed its incident report on the Dixie Fire late Sunday night.

The utility said a mechanic discovered fuse damage on a power line on July 13 after the company’s outage system warned that the Cresta Dam on Highway 70 in Feather River Canyon was losing power.

“The responding PG&E troublemaker was remotely observing what he thought was a blown fuse on the PG&E Bucks Creek 1101 12kV Overhead Distribution Circuit uphill from his location,” the utility said in a report of an electrical incident at California Public Utilities Commission.

Dixie fire: PG&E Dixie Fire Incident Report

“Due to the demanding terrain and the road works that led to the bridge being closed, he was only able to reach the mast with the safety device around 1640 o’clock. There he saw two out of three fuses blown and a healthy green tree leaning into the Bucks Creek 1101 12 kV conductor that was still intact and hanging on the mast. “

“He also observed a fire on the ground near the tree trunk. The interferer manually removed the third fuse and reported the fire. His supervisor called 9-1-1 and the 9-1-1 operator replied that they know the fire and are responding. Air support from Cal Fire arrived on site around 5:30 pm and began to drop fire retardants and water. “

Firefighters near the front lines of Dixie Fire, July 19, 2021. (Butte County Fire Department)

In a statement on KPIX 5, PG&E said it had filed a report with state regulators about the incident.

“Yesterday, PG&E filed an Electric Incident Report (EIR) with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding the Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas Counties. The information provided by PG&E is preliminary and the Company has presented this report with great caution in light of the collection of PG&E facilities from CAL FIRE in connection with its investigation. PG&E is cooperating with the CAL FIRE investigation. “

PG&E equipment has been blamed for a number of major forest fires in the state over the years, and it wasn’t the first time the utility has been investigated as a source of a forest fire in the area. Cal Fire found that the 2018 campfire that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines in the Pulga area.

Firefighters use the Union Pacific Fire Train to protect the railroad tracks and prevent the Dixie Fire from spreading in the Plumas National Forest. California Fire says about 14% of the area is contained, but access is limited as it burns in a remote area. pic.twitter.com/ZGydRdBtW6

– CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) July 19, 2021

Speaking at the briefing, Tony Brownell, the commander of the Cal Fire incident, said the firefighters faced a major challenge in fighting the northeastern area of ​​the massive fire.

“Today was a very active day by the fire,” he said. “There are three things that really affect a fire: fuel, topography, and weather. All three came into effect today when the fire became very active on two different sides of the fire. “

Brownell said the crews were trying to create a “catcher’s glove” out of lines of fire to keep the fire from moving north. Cal Fire also focused on not letting the fire advance towards Concow and Magalia, two towns in Butte County that were hit by the deadly 2018 bonfire.

The fire was fueled by winds and embers that were kicked up in a massive pyrocumulus cloud that rose thousands of feet above the fire.

“It got very active here, this is where you saw the column of smoke from the valley,” Brownell said, pointing to the eastern part of the fire on the map. “All the overheated air rises in the atmosphere … So it got over the Feather River down to (over) Tobin.”

The embers lit point fires in the dry scrub and in the trees, which accelerated the spread of the fire. The advancing fire forced officers to close Highway 70.

“It (big column of embers) is very common, especially in recent years, because our fuels are so dry from the drought, they kill insects, everything is absorbent. So if a spark falls into the unburned brush, it will most likely start a fire, ”Brownell said.

#DixieFire Update 7:00 p.m. 07/18/2021 Video https://t.co/MiYcqE3id9

– Vanessa Wilson (@NessaBurdette) July 19, 2021

The fire was contained to 15 percent on Sunday night, 1,918 firefighters fought the fire that threatened 810 buildings.

New evacuation orders were issued on Sunday evening for the Jonesville and Philbrook areas of Butte County and High Lakes, and for homes on the Butte / Plumas County line east of Twain, Meadow Valley and Bucks Lake.

The post Dixie Fireplace Grows to 40,500 Acres; Blown PG&E Energy Line Fuses Might Have Began Blaze – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A fire that broke out in the fireplace in the lobby of the popular Olema House Hotel near Point Reyes late Friday damaged the lobby, attic and four guest rooms but did not cause any injuries, Marin County Fire Department reported.

Water damage was also reported.

When the fire department arrived shortly after 11 p.m., thick smoke came from the roof of the three-story hotel on Highway 1. About two hours later, 40 firefighters had the fire under control.

“It could have been a lot worse,” said Marin County Fire Department battalion chief Bret McTigue, who said additional firefighters happened to be on standby at Point Reyes Station due to the increased risk of forest fires. They were also supported by firefighters from Inverness, Bolinas and Stinson Beach.

McTigue said the fire in the fireplace got out of control when additional fuel was added to a compressed log of sawdust that was already burning. That started a fire in the chimney that spread to the attic, he said.

The firefighters were assisted by “built-in alarm and detection systems” installed by the hotel that automatically alerted the firefighters, McTigue said.

The upscale hotel and restaurant, where rooms are $ 275 a night and a hamburger is $ 18, will remain closed for the rest of the week, hotel officials said. The guests were moved to other hotels.

Steve Rubenstein is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF

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