NORTH FORK – The Corrine Fire, that started last night at about 9:30 p.m. has now grown to over 600 acres, with 20 percent containment.
Deputies are evacuating the upper half of Road 222 from Corrine Lake Road to Road 200. The entire road is now closed from North Fork to the San Joaquin River.
Some residents are refusing to leave, some citing concerns for animals, but most are cooperating with the evacuation orders.
Crews worked hard overnight to cut in lines, and ran dozer lines across the northern edge of the fire, keeping it below Corrine Lake Road.
There was one spot fire that sparked across Road 222 just south of Ciatna Creek Road, charring five acres on the west side of the road, but firefighters got a line around it and stopped it from spreading.
Challenges overnight included two dozers breaking down, but reinforcements are arriving.
The fire burned actively all night, and crews have lines and hose lays along the upper edge and the western flank.
Downslope winds overnight helped push the fire farther south and kept it from advancing toward the town of North Fork.
As the day heats up, it is expected that the direction of the fire will shift back to the north.
There are currently approximately 220 personnel assigned to the incident. Air resources will be arriving over the fire soon.
An incident command post has been established at Minarets High School in O’Neals.
No injuries have been reported.
The dense smoke prohibits getting any new photos of the fire.
