MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters focused their efforts on the north and east areas of the Detwiler Fire today as temperatures pushed up into triple digits.
The fire is now estimated at 76,250 acres and is 45 percent contained.
There are currently 5,043 personnel assigned to the incident including 491 engines, 65 water tenders, 113 hand crews, 88 dozers, 20 helicopters and air tankers as available.
The number of single-family residences destroyed has reached 63, with 13 damaged. One commercial structure has been lost, 67 minor structures have been destroyed, and 8 damaged.
Crews conducted firing operations in the Hunters Valley area to tie the lines together, and there was activity reported this afternoon in the area of Telegraph Hill.
As firefighters were working on containment lines and hot spots on the Detwiler Fire, a vehicle fire broke out on Old Highway near School House Road at about 3:48 p.m. It was reported as a vehicle pulling a cattle trailer.
The first unit at scene reported the vehicle had been detached from the trailer and was fully involved, and had spread into surrounding vegetation. By 4:02 p.m., the forward progress of the vegetation fire had been stopped.
An individual was hoisted from the fire to the Mariposa Airport this afternoon with unknown injuries.
Cal Fire Incident Management Team 4, the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office and additional cooperating agencies on the Detwiler Fire will be hosting a community meeting on Monday, July 24, at 7 p.m. at the Greeley Hill Community Club, 10332 Fiske Road
At noon today, evacuation orders were lifted for the following areas:
- Hwy 49 North from the town of Coulterville to Crown Lead Road including all side roads
- Hwy 132 and all side roads
- J132- From Hwy 49 North to Lower Dog Town Road (Dog Town Road remains closed)
- Downtown Coulterville
- Buckeye Road
- Old Highway and all side roads (Yaqui Gulch remains closed)
- W. Whitlock and all side roads (Mt. Bullion Ridge Road remains closed)
- E. Whitlock and all side roads
- Colorado and all side roads
- Sherlock Road and all side roads
- The following roads on Highway 140: Martin Road, Bumguardner Mt. Road, Paso Del Oso, Hummingbird Lane, Grosjean Road, Lakeview Road
At 6 p.m., evacuation orders were lifted for these areas:
- Yaqui Gulch Road and all side roads
- CYA Camp Road
- Mt. Bullion Ridge Road
All other evacuation orders remain in effect.
The following roads will remain closed in the above lifted area
- Hwy 49N – Closed from 1 mile North of Bear Valley to Crown Lead Road
- Mt. Bullion Cutoff Road – Closed from Highway 140 to Rd 72A
- Agua Fria – Closed from Hwy 140 to Highway 49N
Click here for a comprehensive, detailed list of all evacuations and road closures.
The cause of the Detwiler Fire remains under investigation.
For the newest detailed maps of the entire fire area, click here. We will have new maps in the morning after tonight’s fly-over.
