NORTH FORK – The Willow Fire was very active today, putting up huge columns of smoke and raising concerns as residents once again lined the roadways to watch trees torching and helicopters and tankers come and go in rapid succession. As of 9 p.m. there is no update on estimated acreage, still reported at 2,077 with 30 percent containment. New ...

NORTH FORK – Residents of Cascadel Woods should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice. The Willow Fire remained active overnight due to the on-going hot and dry weather, pushing a half-mile south. Residents in the Cascadel Woods community, who are under a pre-evacuation advisory, should be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Due to the fire activity, fire managers ...

NORTH FORK – The challenges continue on the southern perimeter of the Willow Fire, as it continues pushing its way across the South Fork Bluffs on the western face of Peckinpah Mountain. Now estimated at 2,077 acres with 30 percent containment, the fire’s southern division was characterized as “an interesting beast” during this morning’s briefing at the Incident Command Post ...

NORTH FORK – Firefighters made good progress on the Willow Fire today, strengthening lines, finishing hose lays, doing mop-up where possible, and clearing snags. Though there is no updated acreage on the fire as of this writing, the Incident Commander told the crowd at a packed Town Hall meeting this evening in North Fork, that he hopes for 30 percent ...

NORTH FORK – Today, United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators have stated that the Willow Fire on the Sierra National Forest, which started July 25 and has charred over 1,700 acres between North Fork and Bass Lake, Calif., was human caused. USFS Law Enforcement Officers, working in conjunction with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, have identified a juvenile ...

NORTH FORK – A thick blanket of smoke hung over fire camp again this morning as the Willow Fire, burning between North Fork and Bass Lake, has now grown to 1,739 acres and is still listed at 5 percent containment. Heavy inversion and smoke will likely keep air resources grounded until about 11 a.m. this morning. There are 8 helicopters ...

NORTH FORK – Crews on the Willow Fire put in a good, hard shift today, though fire officials have not updated the estimated acreage or percent of containment at this time. A mapping flight over the fire tonight will provide new data for an update after the morning briefing tomorrow. The current estimate stands at 1,521 acres with 5 percent ...

NORTH FORK – One of the big challenges of battling the Willow Fire, in addition to some nearly vertical granite walls, is the heavy regrowth of dense brush and the number dangerous snags left behind after the 2001 North Fork Fire. Over 4,000 acres burned in that fire along the Willow Creek drainage and across the face of Peckinpah Mountain. ...

NORTH FORK – Word is coming in from Operations on the Willow Fire that Road 274, between North Fork and Bass Lake, will reopen at noon today,  July 27. All other road closures and evacuations will remain in effect, including Central Camp Road, Douglas Ranger Station north of Trails End, and Autumn Ridge Way (Whiskey Falls Road/Forest Road 8S09). Whiskers ...

NORTH FORK – There has been no change to the estimate on acreage for the Willow Fire, with fire officials holding it at yesterday’s 1,521 acres. The updated map shows only a small push-out to the east in Division M. (see maps below) The 5 percent containment number has also not changed as of this hour, but we await reports ...