SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Firefighters had their work cut out for them on the northern zones of the French Fire today. Fire activity was moderate until about 2 p.m., but as the wind and topography aligned, activity picked up and the fire began exhibiting extreme behavior and rapid rates of spread. Residents living in the community of Arnold Meadow were ...

MADERA COUNTY – This afternoon, under the direction of Sheriff John Anderson, the Madera County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) issued an emergency evacuation notice to those who live or vacation in Arnold Meadow. With large embers spotting out ahead of the French Fire, conditions required the mandatory evacuation, and a notice was issued through MC-Alert. There were roughly 11 ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The most recent updates from fire officials show the French Fire now at 8,207 acres with 15% containment. Once again, a blanket of thick smoke hangs over the mountains and foothills, limiting flight time for air operations supporting a burnout on the southern edge of the fire. As the top priority, work to improve that southern ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – As the day shift gathered for their morning briefing on the French Fire at 0600, the smoke was probably heavier than on any morning since the fire started on Monday. But mother nature cooperated, the inversion lifted, and helicopters were able to lift off from the Incident Command Post/Heliport in North Fork by mid afternoon.

NORTH FORK – Two Sheriff’s deputies working the French Fire, broke free from their patrol duties this morning to render aid to a woman who had just given birth in a parking lot on Road 200 in North Fork. At around 10:20 a.m on Thursday, July 31, FOX 26 (KMPH, Fresno) contacted the Madera County Sheriff’s Office asking them to ...

NORTH FORK – District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler has rescheduled his North Fork Town Hall meeting, originally set for Thursday, July 31. The new date will be Thursday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. The location remains the same, the North Fork Rancheria Community Center, 56900 Kuhugib Road. The Town Hall schedule for the rest of 2014 is the ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The French Fire grew overnight to 7,024 acres and crews have achieved 10% containment of the blaze, burning on the Bass lake Ranger District near Rock Creek Campground along Forest Service Road 4S81. There are currently 1,074 personnel assigned to the incident, along with air resources that include a DC10 retardant plane (VLAT).

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.

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.