YOSEMITE – Thunderstorms came through the park starting July 1, and remained active through July 11, sparking several new fires. Yosemite National Park currently has nine lightning-caused fires. These kinds of fires can take days or weeks to detect because vegetation has to dry out enough to create smoke or visible flames after the storm passes over. Additional fires may ...

YOSEMITE – Thunderstorms came through Yosemite National Park starting on July 1, sparking six new lightning-caused fires. Lightning-caused fires can take days or weeks to detect because vegetation has to dry out enough to create smoke or visible flames after the storm passes over. Additional fires may be discovered as that process takes place. Most of these recent fires are ...

COARSEGOLD – After a fairly uneventful evening of patrolling the area during 4th of July festivities, firefighters were called out to a structure fire on Road 417 at around 2 a.m. this morning. Crews responded to a house on fire about one-quarter mile east of Highway 41 in the Indian Lakes area. There were about six people in the approximately ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Last week’s lightning storm ignited 33 fires on the Sierra National Forest Thursday and Friday afternoon. Thirty-two are located on the High Sierra Ranger district and one is located on the Bass Lake Ranger District. At this time, there are 120 firefighters actively supporting fire suppression on the Sierra, including many who are stationed on the ...

COARSEGOLD – Crews were called out at 1:17 p.m. this afternoon for reports of a vegetation fire on Creek Road, just south of Patrick Avenue in Yosemite Lakes Park. First firefighters on scene reported the fire at about one acre, burning in grass and oak woodland, with two structures immediately threatened. Patrick Avenue was closed off at Yosemite Springs Parkway, ...

AHWAHNEE – Firefighters responded to reports of a column of smoke rising in the area of Miami Mountain Lookout just before 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The fire burned just west of Highway 49, north of Ahwahnee off Miami Mountain Road. First engine at scene reported the fire about 1/2 to 3/4 acre. Air tankers and helicopters were quickly over ...

NORTH FORK – When the fire came racing toward their house, destroying everything in its path, the family grabbed what they could, loaded their pets and raced down the driveway ahead of the flames. They watched from a distance as it flashed through their property, trees torching out ahead of the wall of fire. Days later when they returned to ...

OAKHURST – The Sky Fire, that started on Thursday, June 18, near Oakhurst, is now 96% contained and was last reported at 500 acres. Due to suppression efforts, dangerous trees in the area, and heavy equipment working along the roadway, the Sierra National Forest deemed it necessary to close Road 632 (Sky Ranch) for the safety of the public. As ...

EASTERN MADERA COUNTY – A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team for the Sky and Corrine Fire is working to complete its assessment and recommendations to lessen immediate hazards to public resources from the effects of the fire. The team is led by geologist Alan Gallegos from the Sierra National Forest. The BAER team is made up of specialists from ...

CALIFORNIA – Firefighters were faced with a major challenge on the Lake Fire in San Bernardino County on Wednesday as a hobby drone, or (UAS) unmanned aircraft system, was spotted in the fire area where airtankers were flying. Just before 6 p.m. in the Onyx Summit area an airtanker spotted the drone in the area where the firefighting aircraft were ...