YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park officials have announced that Highway 120, from the Big Oak Flats entrance to Crane Flats, is now closed due to fire behavior on the El Portal Fire. There is no access to Yosemite from the west on this route. Big Oak Flats Road between Highways 140 and 120 is now open, making Tioga Road accessible ...

MADERA COUNTY – The United States Academic Decathlon has announced the 2014-2015 Academic Decathlon theme is New Alternatives in Energy: Ingenuity and Innovation. This year’s Super Quiz topic will include questions based on six subject areas including art, economics, literature, music, science and social science.

NORTH FORK – The free lunches served to the kids of North Fork at the Rec Center will now be available at the Mono Rancheria Community Center. With the smoky conditions, it has been decided to feed the kids indoors. The Community Center is located at 56901 Kunugib just off Road 222 above the Post Office.

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The French Fire continues to ravage the forest on the Bass Lake Ranger District, growing overnight to 5,600 acres with 0% containment. There are currently 536 personnel assigned to the incident, staging at the Old Mill Site in North Fork where a heliport has been set up with six helicopters and three additional on order.

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The French Fire, burning on the Bass Lake Ranger District along Forest Road 81, has now reached 3,637 acres with no containment noted. Fire crews continued to build new containment lines on Tuesday, and reopen established control lines which were used during the Aspen Fire last year.

OAKHURST – The Oakhurst Library will host a talk on birds, to be presented by Audubon member, John K. Cross. The program is known as “Birds at our Beak and Caw;” and John will present to the public on Saturday, Aug. 9th, at 10:30 a.m. in the Oakhurst Library Community Room.

YOSEMITE – The El Portal fire continued to gain ground throughout the day, reaching 3,545 acres in size. However, crews made good progress on the lines. Firefighters have achieved 34% containment as the fire continues to char the forest on the west side of Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest. There are currently 864 personnel assigned to the ...

MADERA COUNTY – A man who suffered fatal injuries in a solo vehicle wreck near Central Camp on Saturday night has been identified. Steven Joseph Martin, 32, of Fresno, was driving just south of Whisker’s Campground when he crashed through the guard rail on the bridge over Sand Creek.

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The French Fire, burning on the Bass Lake Ranger District near Rock Creek, has prompted the evacuation and closure of all campgrounds along Forest Road 81 (Minarets/Mammoth Pool Road). According to the Forest Service, the closure on Road 81 will be moved down to the Redinger Lake Overlook, about seven miles up from North Fork. Residents ...

OAKHURST – A fire in Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park this morning may have spread into the surrounding vegetation and nearby homes were it not for the quick response of firefighters. At about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, a fire was reported in a double-wide mobile home on the lower level of the park located at 41941 Road 222.