AHWAHNEE – The Oak Fire is now 55 percent contained as crews continue to strengthen containment lines and do mop-up in the interior. With more accurate mapping, the estimated size has been adjusted to 360 acres. The fire started on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3:44 p.m. off Lonesome Oak Road north of Road 620. At 2 p.m. yesterday, evacuation orders ...

AHWAHNEE – Another successful day on the fireline brings the containment of the Oak Fire to 50 percent. The estimated size is still holding at 390 acres. The fire started on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3:44 p.m. off Lonesome Oak Road north of Road 620. At 2 p.m. today, evacuation orders were lifted for the communities of Cedarbrook and Timberloft. ...

AHWAHNEE – The huge column of smoke over the Oakhurst area the past few days has been reduced to a light haze as firefighters on the Oak Fire continue to hold it at 390 acres. It is now 45 percent contained. Crews have mopped up about 60 feet inside the line on the western and northern perimeters and will be ...

AHWAHNEE – Firefighters made excellent progress today on the Oak Fire, burning northeast of Ahwahnee above Road 620. The fire was estimated at 390 acres at 1:30 p.m. today, and is holding at that acreage. The fire is 35 percent contained. The mission for the day was to hit the east flank hard with water drops and retardant between Road ...

AHWAHNEE – As crews head out to the lines on the Oak Fire today, their main focus will be on the eastern flank where they are still working to complete the fireline. The Oak Fire was reported at 3:44 p.m. yesterday afternoon and quickly grew to an estimated 250-300 acres. As of 10 a.m. today, the fire is estimated at ...

AHWAHNEE – Residents have been evacuated and advisories issued ahead of the Oak Fire, burning north of Road 620 (Bissett Station) northeast of Ahwahnee. As of 5:47 p.m., the fire was estimated at 150 acres with a moderate rate of spread, and by 7 p.m., the estimate had risen to 250 acres with 0 percent containment. The fire continues to ...

AHWAHNEE – Firefighters are on scene of a vegetation fire northeast of the community of Ahwahnee. At 3:45 p.m., resources from Cal Fire, Madera County Fire and the Sierra National Forest, along with air resources, were dispatched to Lonesome Oak Lane north of Bissett Station Road. CHP and Madera County Sheriff’s deputies also responded to what has been dubbed the ...

YOSEMITE – Though the firefight has ended on the nearly 97,000-acre Ferguson Fire and only a few smokes remain throughout the interior, the work of repair and restoration continues. On a recent trip to Yosemite West, I was escorted by Anne Grandy, retired from the Bass Lake Ranger District and now serving as a PIO on the South Central Sierra ...

AHWAHNEE – Firefighters made quick work of a vegetation fire in the 41800 block of Road 600 just west of Highway 49 today. Crews were dispatched at 12:45 p.m., and the first unit arrived at scene within five minutes. The fire was reported at about 1/2-acre, burning at a moderate rate of spread with three structures immediately threatened. A full ...

YOSEMITE – As we move into the fall season, we are reminded that though temperature may be cooling down, fire season is not over. There are currently four fires still burning in Yosemite National Park’s wilderness. While hiking trails and sitting at vistas throughout the park, visitors may see smoke in some of these areas and are reminded that wildfires, ...