Live updates: Creek Fire evacuation list grows; injured patients flown to Fresno on Blackhawks
Follow Sunday’s updates on the Creek Fire here:
Live updates: Shaver Lake a ghost town, Creek Fire evacuations grow, Yosemite fire advisory
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7:30 a.m.: Mandatory evacuation order for Shaver Lake area
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order Sunday morning for the Shaver Lake area, from Shaver Lake to Littlefield Road, as the Creek Fire continued to burn through foothill and mountain brush in eastern Fresno and Madera counties.
The Sunday morning acreage estimate was 45,500.
Read more here: Shaver Lake under mandatory evacuation. Here’s full list of orders in California’s Creek Fire
10:20 p.m.: Blackhawk helicopters landing at FAT
The Fresno Fire Department PIO said 10 of its units and one Clovis Fire Department engine are at Fresno Yosemite International Airport awaiting a possible 63 injured patients being flown from Mammoth Pool Reservoir area because of the Creek Fire. Of the 63 patients, the department said 20 are in potentially critical condition.
The fire department units will take patients to Fresno-area hospitals.
MORE: See photos and video from the Creek Fire near Shaver Lake in eastern Fresno County
9:37 p.m.: Burn victims arrive in Fresno
Fresno Community Regional Medical Center admitted six burn victims who were evacuated from the Mammoth Pool Reservoir area and the hospital was preparing for the possibility of receiving more evacuees.
Meanwhile, 65 people were receiving medical treatment at a triage center set up at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Madera County Sheriff public information officer Sarah Jackson confirmed.
9 p.m.: Another evacuation order issued
An evacuation order was issued for Beasore Meadows as the Creek Fire continues to grow.
The orders are to leave now with lives in immediate threat of the fire.
The area also is being closed to public access.
Madera County Sheriff’s Deputies will be going door-to-door to alert residents to leave immediately.
Beasore Meadows is approximately 15 miles from Bass Lake.
CRMC has received at least six burn victims who were evacuated from the Mammoth Reservoir Pool area and were anticipating more.
65 at the triog center at airport.
8:20 p.m.: Rescue mission underway
At least 10 people were injured and others remained in danger Saturday night among the 1,000 people trapped near Mammoth Pool Reservoir due to a fast-growing wildfire, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were teaming up Saturday to rescue approximately 150 people who were sheltering-in-place at the Mammoth Pool Boat Launch. Despite some of the injuries, the group is safely sheltering-in-place, according to the sheriff’s office.
Agencies were coordinating an aircraft rescue for crews to come and safely evacuate them.
7:30 p.m.: Labor Day getaways scuttled
Cars, trucks and trailers continued to trickle back along the road from Shaver Lake to the Valley floor, as the Creek Fire spoiled Labor Day holiday weekend plans.
“Me and the family were driving, going to Shaver Lake for the weekend, and a firefighter about 25 miles away, he said turn around, everything got shut down,” said Sean Hendrix of Bakersfield, whose family had booked a cabin and a boat for what was to have been a three-day, two night stay.
Cal Fire reported at this time at the Creek Fire had spread to 36,000 acres with zero containment.
6 p.m.: All quiet at Prather evacuation center
Five evacuees from the Creek Fire showed up at Foothill Elementary School in Prather, which was one of two evacuation sites set up by the Red Cross.
By 6 p.m., those five had been sent to a hotel, leaving only several Red Cross workers. They planned to remain on scene for a while.
The smell of heavy smoke lingered in the area. A huge plume could be seen to the north.
On the drive to the evacuation center, numerous motorists were seen headed back to the Valley floor, many of them towing recreational trailers and boats.
Electronic signs along Highways 168 and 99 cautioned drivers of the fire danger.
The fire, as of 4 p.m., had grown to 36,000 acres, with containment still at 0%.
No cause had been determined.
4 p.m.: People trapped at Mammoth Pool
As many as 1,000 people near Mammoth Pool Reservoir have been cut off by the Creek Fire and are unable to evacuate the area. They are reportedly being advised to shelter in place, in the reservoir if necessary.
The situation was confirmed by Sierra National Forest spokesman Dan Tune.
Tune said the fire is threatening a range of mountain resources, including structures, communities and power lines. ”Mainly our focus is the safety of all the folks all over the forest, just making sure folks are safe and get them evacuated,” Tune said.
A command post for the fire is expected to be set up at Sierra High School in Tollhouse, most likely on Sunday, Tune added.
3:25 p.m.: Mandatory evacuations at Cascadel, Clover
An evacuation warning previously issued for the community of Cascadel Woods in eastern Madera County has been updated to a mandatory evacuation order by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office because of danger from the Creek Fire.
“There is an immediate threat to life,” states an alert sent by the sheriff’s office. “This is an evacuation order to leave now. The area is being closed to public access.”
Clover Meadow and surrounding areas, including campgrounds are also under an evacuation order in Madera County. That order includes Arnold Meadow, Minarets Work Center, Chiquito Campgrounds and Beasore Road north to Clover Meadow.
2:35 p.m.: Shaver Lake under evacuation warning
The entire community of Shaver Lake has been placed under an evacuation warning for the Creek Fire. Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, said the warning covers an area extending south to Littlefield Road off of Highway 168.
“This means there is a potential threat to life (or) property,” Botti said. Those who require extra time to evacuate & those with pets / livestock should leave now.”
1:55 p.m.: Red Cross adds evacuation point
Red Cross announced it has openend a second temporary evacuation point at North Fork Elementary in North Fork. This is on the other side of the Creek Fire.
1:45 p.m.: Red Cross sets up shop in Prather
The Red Cross has opened a temporary evacuation point at Foothill Elementary School in Prather to assist families being displaced by the Creek Fire.
1:30 p.m.: Fire expands to 5,000 acres
An update from the U.S. Forest Service indicates that the Creek Fire is continuing to grow, with the current size estimated at 5,000 acres. So far, about 450 firefighters are working on the fire.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has added the Cascadel Woods community to the list of areas for which evacuation warnings have been issued.
1:20 p.m.: New evacuations ordered in Madera County
The Creek Fire has jumped the San Joaquin River and is threatening areas of eastern Madera County.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has deputies going door to door to enforce mandatory evacautions in the Kinsman Flat area north of the San Joaquin River because of the Creek Fire. Road 225 / Minarets Road are closed at Reddinger Outlook.
Evacuation orders were also issued for the Fish Creek and Rock Creek areas, both about 10 miles from the area where the Creek Fire was burning on Saturday morning.
Noon: Smoke in Shaver Lake
Eric Paul Zamora, a visual journalist for The Fresno Bee, has updated photos and is sending a video of smoke at the Highway 168 4-lane near Shaver Lake. He’s now headed toward the front line of the fire.
11 a.m.: Fire grows to 2,000 acres
The Creek fire, initially reported Saturday morning at about 600 acres in size, is now estimated to cover about 2,000 acres in the Sierra National Forest, according to Cal Fire, which is managing the firefighting effort jointly with the U.S. Forest Service.
10:30 a.m.: ‘Lot of people coming down the hill’
Ty Gillett, owner of Cressman’s General Store near the top of the “four-lane” section of Highway 168 below Shaver Lake, said he’s seen plenty of traffic on the highway in front of the store as people leave the evacuated areas.
“There’s a lot of people coming down the hill,” he said. “There’s hardly anyone except for fire engines going up.”
Gillett said that since the fire is burning north of Shaver Lake, his business south of the lake is in no immediate danger. “But that could change in a day or two,” he added. “We’ve seen these things before. … We’re watching it for sure.”
“Hopefully this doesn’t burn people’s houses or businesses down,” Gillett said. “Our priority is to support the firefighters, CHP, sheriffs and all the guys up there. … We need to let these guys do their job, stay out of their way and put this fire out.”
10:15 a.m.: Huntington Lake evacuations
Evacuation orders for the Creek Fire have been expanded to Huntington Lake, Fresno County Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said, describing the fire as “fast spreading.”
In a public alert tweet via Twitter, the sheriff’s office said the evacuation is in addition to earlier evacuations of the communities of Big Creek and Camp Sierra. “Visitors are urged to leave now to avoid traffic jams on Highway 168,” the agency warned.
10 a.m.: Shaver Lake access closed
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is advising Labor Day weekend travelers that Shaver Lake is completely closed to the public because of the Creek Fire. Tony Botti, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said the closure includes Camp Edison and the north shore of the lake.
Original update:
A wildfire burning above Shaver Lake in the Sierra National Forest has triggered the evacuations of the communities of Big Creek and Camp Sierra in eastern Fresno County.
The fire broke out at about 6:30 p.m. Friday, and U.S. Forest Service fire crews worked throughout the night. As of Saturday morning, the fire was estimated at about 600 acres in size with no containment.
The California Highway Patrol said Highway 168 at the top of the four-lane just below Shaver Lake is closed to all recreational traffic. Only emergency responders and residents are being allowed through the closure.
In addition to crews on the ground, aircraft have been called in to assist with the firefighting efforts.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This story was originally published September 5, 2020 at 9:15 AM with the headline "Live updates: Creek Fire evacuation list grows; injured patients flown to Fresno on Blackhawks."
