Garnet Fire Grows to 15,780 Acres, Zero Containment as Crews Battle Rugged Terrain

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Garnet Fire burning successful the Sierra National Forest has grown to 15,780 acres with 0% containment arsenic of Thursday morning, according to occurrence officials. The wildfire, which started Aug. 24 southbound of Rodgers Ridge adjacent Garnet Dike, remains nether investigation.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters are assigned to the blaze, and much crews are arriving regular arsenic officials enactment to dilatory the fire's dispersed successful steep, rugged terrain.

Evacuations and Warnings

Mandatory evacuation orders are successful effect for zones: K27, K30, K31, K32-A and K40

Evacuation warnings person been issued for: K28, K29, K32-B, K74, K85 and K160

Residents are urged to enactment alert and travel authoritative instructions.

Fire Activity and Operations

The occurrence burned actively overnight, with astir maturation to the north. The occurrence borderline is present conscionable southbound of the Teakettle Experimental Area and is expected to determination into that country today. Crews besides observed enactment connected the southeast corner, though the occurrence remains northbound of the Kings River.

Large dormant trees from erstwhile bark beetle infestations are fueling accelerated occurrence dispersed and creating unsafe conditions for firefighters.

Firefighters are prioritizing extortion of infrastructure adjacent Balch Camp, wherever PG&E has powerfulness poles, wires and hydroelectric facilities. Some inferior instrumentality has already been damaged, but crews person managed to support captious assets truthful far. PG&E officials pass that demolition of these facilities could pb to large work disruptions and costly repairs.

Avocado Lake is present the tract of the Incident Command Post, which has grown into a tiny metropolis to enactment astir 1,000 firefighters. The basal includes catering, showers, aesculapian units and instrumentality staging areas.

Weather and Safety

Weather conditions stay lukewarm and adust with accrued winds on ridgetops. Humidity is expected to emergence aboriginal today, with thunderstorms imaginable to the northbound and northeast. Pyrocumulus clouds are apt to make this afternoon.

Officials impulse residents and visitors to usage caution connected roadways, particularly adjacent Trimmer Springs Road and Avocado Lake, wherever dense occurrence postulation is expected. They besides punctual the nationalist to forestall caller occurrence starts by avoiding towing oregon mowing successful adust areas, not parking connected adust writer and utilizing utmost caution with campfires. Fireworks are prohibited connected nationalist wood lands year-round.

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Recreation Impact

The occurrence has prompted partial closures successful the Sierra National Forest conscionable days earlier Labor Day weekend. Officials are asking visitors adjacent the Kings River to usage caution and expect dense occurrence enactment successful the area.

The Garnet Fire is the largest of astir 10 progressive fires burning successful the forest. Officials accidental the occurrence volition apt proceed done the vacation weekend.