Creek Fire updates: Evacuees whose homes were destroyed to be given access to re-enter area
Fresno County officials and the sheriff’s office will be allowing certain residents who evacuated because of the Creek Fire to re-enter their area Sunday in identified safe zones.
The designated areas, located inside evacuation order zones, will allow for short term visits by occupants and enable them to survey damage and salvage items.
Only residents in Zones F1K, F1N, F1O will be granted temporary access to their properties.
Access applies to only those who have had had their homes destroyed. Anyone whose home was not destroyed or is not a resident of the specified zones will not be admitted.
Check-in begins 8 a.m. Sunday at Foothill Elementary in Prather., and everyone must be checked out by 4 p.m.
Additional zones for the re-entry process will continue to be identified and announced in the future.
Those checking in must bring official identification and a document proving residency. If your driver license does not contain your current address, bring a utility bill or something similar as we need proof of your address to allow you in for re-entry.
Due to health and safety hazards created by the fire, residents are advised to bring personal protective equipment (goggles, face masks, gloves, etc.) to wear. They’re also encouraged to wear pants, a long sleeve shirt and sturdy, close-toed shoes.
Residents also are advised to bring a second set of clothes or coveralls. Residents will be able to take items from your property, so it’s suggested they bring boxes and bags.
However, officers said don’t plan on loading up trailers full of items.
After leaving your property, you must check-out at a location designated by the Sheriff’s Office.
On Monday, residents in zones F7E and F1O will be granted temporary access to their property.
However, access applies only to those who had their homes destroyed. And anyone whose home was not destroyed or is not a resident of the specific zones will be not admitted, the sheriff’s office said.
Same check-in procedures and location will be followed.
Fire size, containment and Saturday evacuation lifts
As of Saturday morning, the Creek Fire has expanded slightly in acreage and containment has hovered around 39% since Friday.
The blaze grew by 746 acres overnight to 292,172 acres.
There was no size or containment update provided Saturday night, as of 9 p.m.
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and county officials on Saturday allowed evacuated residents in specific zones to return to their properties for a short time to survey the damage and salvage any items.
Only residents in Zones F2L, F2M, F2N, F7D and F7G will be granted temporary access to their properties. Access applies to only those who have had their homes destroyed. Anyone whose home was not destroyed or is not a resident of the specified zones will not be admitted.
Check-in station is at Foothill Elementary School, 29147 Auberry Road in Prather. Additional re-entry zones will continue to be identified and announced in the future by the Sheriff’s Office.
For details on the re-entry zones visit the Sheriff’s office website at www.fresnosheriff.org.
Also Saturday, a weather system will begin moving into the region, bringing with it hotter temperatures and lower humidity. The conditions will last into the week.
The Creek Fire has been burning in the Sierra National Forest since Sept. 4.
Centered near Shaver and Huntington lakes and toward the southern border of Yosemite National Park, the Creek Fire is not expected to reach full containment until Oct. 15.
More than 3,200 personnel have been fighting the fire, which has destroyed 855 structures so far.
5 p.m.: Repopulating south of Shaver Lake
Fresno County lifted evacuation orders for the following areas:
Zone F1L: South boundary begins north of the dead end of Old Tollhouse Road as well as the intersection of Tollhouse Road and Burrough Mountain Road. West boundary is Highway 168 and excludes properties off of Oak Springs Road. East boundary is the intersection of Tollhouse Road and Shaver Springs Road. North boundary is Highway 168.
Zone F5GB: Includes all tributaries of Rebel Hill Lane from 31876 Rebel Hill Lane through 31881 Rebel Hill Lane.
Zone F5J: The south boundary includes the north side of Sycamore Road. The west boundary is west of the intersection of Rebel Hill Lane and Sycamore Road. The east boundary is east of the intersection of Sycamore Road and Coyote Drive.
Zone F5K: The south boundary includes the neighborhoods on both side of High Mountain Lane, east from its intersection with Watts Valley Road. The west boundary includes the east side of Watts Valley Road. The north boundary includes the south side of Sycamore Road. The east boundary is east of the intersection of Coyote Drive and Sycamore Road.
Zone F5O: The south boundary lays south of the intersection of Bob’s Flat Trail and Vincent Fire Road. The west boundary is east of the intersection of Sycamore Road and Coyote Drive. The north boundary is about three quarters of a mile from the Vincent Fire Road and Edison Fire Trail Road intersection. The east boundary begins at the end of both Edison Fire Trail Road and Vincent Fire Road.
4 p.m.: Road closures
The following road closures went in effect at 4 p.m. Saturday:
- Tollhouse Road at Highway 168
- Tollhouse Road at Linson Road
- Highway 168 at Shaver Lake Forest Road
- Dinkey Creek Road at Ockenden Village Road
- Cressmans Road at Highway 168
- Trimmer Springs Road at Maxon Road
To view the evacuation map, visit:
2:30 p.m.: Madera County evacuation warnings lifted
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office announced evacuation warnings were lifted for the following zones:
- M12: The Pines
- M52: Saddleback Estates
- M53: Chepo Saddle area
- M142: Sugar Pine
For more information, go to https://www.maderacounty.com/government/creek-fire.
2 p.m.: Evacuation orders lifted
The following areas in Fresno County had its evacuation orders lifted, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department:
Zone F1TE: The west boundary begins at the intersection of Acorn Road and Sugarloaf Road. The south boundary lays north of the intersection of Sharin Woods Road and Acorn Road. The north boundary lays south (excludes) Italian Bar Road, and continues north to the San Joaquin River. The east boundary lays east of Old Railroad Grade Road.
Zone F2A: South boundary includes both sides of Dinkey Creek Road. West boundary begins just west of the Forestry Fire Station (41640 Dinkey Creek Road). North boundary is outside (excludes) Dorabelle Campground, to the Shaver Lake shoreline (shoreline in its entirety on the south side of the lake). East boundary excludes Fishing Club Road as it leads to the shoreline, and excludes Swanson Campground off of Dinkey Creek Road.
Zone F2F: The south boundary contains the properties on both sides of Bretz Mill Road. The west boundary consists of the east side of Tollhouse Road. The north boundary runs south of the properties off of Dinkey Creek Road, south of the Boy Scouts Campground. The east boundary contains properties on the east side of Blue Canyon Road, south of Dinkey Creek Road (Pine Ridge).
Zone F2G: The south boundary extends to the south of the Dunn Carraig campgrounds and contains the neighborhoods south of Canyon Vista Lane and Leisure Lane from Black Oak Way and Blue Canyon Road. The west boundary contains all off-shoots of Saddleback Road. The north boundary lays south of Bretz Mill Road. The east boundary extends east of the properties that lay on the east side of Blue Canyon Road.
Zone F2H: Zone contains the undeveloped land south of Bretz Mill Road and north of Providence Creek Road.
Zone F2JB: The West boundary is Musick Creek. This includes the neighborhoods off of Crest Point Lane and Musick Falls Lane. The north boundary lies north of the Shaver Lake Church of Christ. The east boundary includes the properties on the west side of Tollhouse Road. The south boundary lays south of Crest Point Lane.
Zone F6M: Contains both sides of Bretz Mill Road, just east of its intersection of Cressmans Road. The south boundary contains properties on Providence Creek Road, to its intersection with Big Creek. The north boundary extends to include the properties off of Bretz Mill Road from Providence Creek Road.
Zone F6K: Zone contains the area south of Big Creek Road near, southeast of its intersection with Peterson Road. The north boundary just outside properties on the south side of Big Creek Road, and the east boundary is predominately on the west side of Soaproot Saddle Road.
Zone F6L: Contains both sides of Big Creek Road, west of its intersection with Peterson Road. The boundary extends to the east till just west of Bretz Mill Camp.
Zone F2I: South boundary is north of the Wild Rose Lane and Yellow Lupin Lane intersection. The west and north boundary consists of the east side of Tollhouse Road (Highway 168) to the intersection of Shaver Lake Forest Road and Cold Springs Lane. The east boundary extends to contain the properties on the east side of Cedar Ridge and Windwood Lane.
Zone F2JA: The south boundary contains properties on the north side of Highway 168 (Tollhouse Road). The west boundary contains Old Railroad Grade Bed Road. The north boundary lays north of Solitude Lane and includes the “Creekside Retreat.” The east boundary lays east of Woodland Road, west of the properties (excluding) off of Crest Point Lane.
SQF Complex Fire
In the nearby Sequoia National Forest, firefighters continue to make progress on the SQF Complex Fire, which includes the Castle and Shotgun fires. As of Saturday, it has grown slightly to 148,850 acres but is 39% contained, up from 36% from Friday.
The fires have been burning for more than a month.
The majority of the Castle Fire is in the Sequoia National Forest, but it is also burning in the Inyo National Forest. A large portion of the Castle Fire is burning in the Golden Trout Wilderness Area. The several hundred-acre Shotgun Fire is approximately 5 miles northwest of the Castle Fire.
Forest service officials estimate containment could come by Oct. 10.
The Bullfrog Fire, east of Shaver Lake near Courtright Reservoir, has burned 1,185 acres and is 30% contained, according to the incident report online.
This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Creek Fire updates: Evacuees whose homes were destroyed to be given access to re-enter area."
