Roads, trails in Sierra National Forest shut down due to Ferguson Fire, officials say

The northwest area of the Sierra National Forest has officially been shut down to the public because of the threat to the public from the Ferguson Fire, according to forest officials.

“The purpose of this closure is to provide safety to the public and for the firefighters who are engaged in fire suppression and rehabilitation efforts within the Ferguson Fire Closure Area,” an order by Forest Supervisor Dean A. Gould states.

According to the order, the area includes any national forest system roads and trails within an area boundary that starts at the intersection of Highway 140 and the national forest border. The boundary continues south and east along the national forest border to the intersection with Forest Road No. 6S24.

The boundary continues east and north along Forest Road No. 6S24 to the intersection with Highway 41. It continues north on Highway 41 to the intersection with the Yosemite National Park border, running along that border northeast to the intersection with the Merced River near the Red Bud Picnic Area.

The boundary travels west along the Sierra National Forest border back to the Highway 140 intersection.

The only people exempt from the order are anyone with a permit from the Forest Service, or any federal, state or local officer or member of a rescue or fire fighting force performing official duties.

Any person violating the closure order is subject to a maximum fine of $5,000 and six months imprisonment, according to the order. The fine is a maximum $10,000 for organizations violating the order.

The closure will remain in effect until the Ferguson Fire is declared out, the release states.

The fire had swelled from hundreds of acres on Saturday morning to 12,525 acres with just 5 percent contained Tuesday night, according to the Forest Service. Fire officials have said the steep and inaccessible terrain in the area has made the fire tough to contain.

Firefighters from multiple agencies on Tuesday paid respects to Braden Varney during a procession throughout Mariposa and Merced counties. Varney was a bulldozer operator for Cal Fire and beloved Mariposa resident who died while fighting the fire sometime Friday night or Saturday morning.

The fire has shut down Highway 140 from Abbie Road in El Portal to 14 miles north of Mariposa.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for:

• Incline Road from Clearing House to the last BLM campground
• Jerseydale and Mariposa Pines
• Cedar Lodge and the Indian Flat Campground
• Savage’s Trading Post and Sweetwater Ridge
  
  
• Incline Road from Clearing House to the Foresta Bridge

Evacuation advisories have been issued for:

• Yosemite West
• Lushmeadows Community
• Ponderosa Basin Community
• Triangle Road from Jerseydale Road to Highway 49
• Darrah Road from Triangle to Sherrod Road
• The east side of southbound Highway 49 from Darrah Road to Harris Road
• National Park Service El Portal Complex
  
  
• Rancheria Flat - Government Housing
• El Portal Trailer Court
• Old El Portal

An evacuation center has been set up at New Life Christian Fellowship in Mariposa at 5089 Cole Road.