Home » Headlines » Fires » Sky Fire Holds At 500 Acres

Sky Fire Holds At 500 Acres

OAKHURST – The Sky Fire, burning along Road 632 north of Oakhurst, is holding at 500 acres with 30 percent containment. Crews made good progress today, keeping the fire inside containment lines and working on hot spots.

There are still 200 structures threatened, though none has been lost.

A drive through the fire area this afternoon showed large areas of green forest interspersed with swaths of burnt trees and ashes.

Entrance to Calvin Crest - photo by Gina ClugstonCrews were stationed all along the road, falling hazard trees, strengthening firelines and doing mopup.

Though the vegetation at the turnoff to Calvin Crest was blackened, the fire only ran up the road about 100 yards. The remaining 2 miles into the Camp was green and untouched by fire.

Today crews continued building and reinforcing containment lines around the perimeter of the fire, and began fire line suppression repair work.

Calvin Crest Gate - photo by Gina ClugstonFire line suppression repair is repairing or improving land damaged during fire suppression and line construction. The extent of repair will vary depending upon intended use after the fire.

There are currently 690 personnel assigned to the incident. Firefighting resources, such as engines and crews, will begin to be demobilized from this incident and sent to other fires in California.

The public is reminded a lot of firefighting equipment will be traveling on the roads going into the Sky Fire area and others will be leaving the community heading to other incidents.

Burnt trees along the road - photo by Gina ClugstonThe Sky Ranch road (Road 632) remains closed one-and-a-half miles in from Highway 41, as are all roads leading into the fire area, until further notice.

Several Forest Service and private campgrounds and facilities were evacuated on Thursday for public safety concerns, and remain closed, including Calvin Crest, Camp Redwood, Soqel Campground, Grays Mountain and Chilkoot Campground.

The Incident Command Center for the Sky Fire has been established at the Old Mill Site in North Fork.

The Red Cross has set up the following evacuation centers in Oakhurst:

  • Sierra Vista Church, 39696 Highway 41, Oakhurst.
  • Oakhurst EV Church, 50443 School Rd, Oakhurst.

Charred forests on Sky Fire - photo by Gina ClugstonBoth evacuation centers also have small animal evacuation shelter for household pets.

The Sky Fire started on Thursday, June 18, when a pickup pulling a trailer caught fire on Road 632 and spread into the vegetation.

Remember: One Less Spark – One Less Wildfire

For more information about wildfire prevention please visit: http://www.preventwildfireca.org/OneLessSpark/

The Sky Fire is a US Forest Service incident and is under the command of the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team.

Fire Information: (559) 877-4074Burnt trees on one side green on the other - photo by Gina ClugstonFirefighters heading for the fireline - photo by Gina ClugstonEngine SNF 314 on Sky Fire - photo by Gina Clugston

Leave a Reply

Sierra News Online

Sierra News Online