Creek Fire update: Heavy smoke expected around Shaver Lake. Here’s what’s happening
Cal Fire officials battling the Creek Fire on Wednesday burned through brush and slashed piles collected during their suppression repairs on Southern California Edison property between Shaver Lake Village and Shaver Point on Thursday, according to a recent Facebook update.
The Creek Fire this morning remains 70% contained with a total area of 379,802 acres. There are now 486 personnel on the fire. Thursday also marks the beginning of the transition from the Alaska Incident Management team to California Interagency Incident Management Team 10. They will take full control on Friday.
Thanks to the weekend’s snowfall and the rocky terrain, the fire remains stable in its most active part, around Madera Peak and Pincushion Peak. Pockets of heavy fuels, like logs, will continue smoldering until more rain or snowfalls.
Most of the personnel, then, are working on repair work, returning the firelines to normal and clearing hazardous trees to make living and driving conditions safer. On Tuesday, firefighters also removed protective wrap, which resembles aluminum foil, from cabins in the Vermillion Valley north of Thomas A. Edison Lake using helicopters.
The National Weather Service expects light rainfall on Friday night. Dryer, warm weather will return to the San Joaquin Valley Saturday through Tuesday, according to their daily report.
SQF Complex
The SQF Complex Fire remains at 171,032 acres and 80% containment, with 206 people working on it, down by over 100 people since yesterday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Active burning is limited to large logs not reached by the rain and snow in higher elevation areas. That will likely continue for months until winter storms blanket the area.
About half of the fireline still needs repairs to return as close to normal, although the same wet and icy conditions helping to mellow the fire activity make that a challenge, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The California Interagency Incident Management Team 13 is also preparing to depart the fire on Saturday, so the Sequoia National Forest can take over starting Saturday afternoon.
An Interagency Emergency Task Force is working to prevent flash floods by identifying trigger points and cleaning up debris.
The FEMA Mobile Registration Intake Center serving wildfire survivors in Tulare County has now changed its hours, so it is no longer operating on Saturdays. The center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Creek Fire update: Heavy smoke expected around Shaver Lake. Here’s what’s happening."