OAKHURST — Residents evacuated from Sky Ranch Road are being allowed to return home. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has announced that evacuations will be lifted as of 11:30 a.m. today for Sky Ranch, ECCO and The Grove. Residents will be required to show identification to enter, and the area remains closed to the public until further notice. Resident screening ...

NORTH FORK — Residents evacuated last Sunday ahead of the Mission Fire are being allowed to return home. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has announced that the evacuations will be lifted for residents only at 10 a.m. today. Resident screening locations have been established at traffic control points. Entry to non-residents will remain restricted. For additional information regarding traffic control ...

OAKHURST —  Firefighters continued to make good progress on the Railroad Fire overnight, and officials have released their plan for repopulating evacuated areas and reopening Highway 41. The fire is now estimated at 12,141 acres with 50 percent containment. Fire officials have announced this schedule for the lifting of evacuations: The Fish Camp area will be open to the public ...

OAKHURST — At a community meeting tonight in Oakhurst, residents, travelers on Highway 41 and those who are employed north of town heard very good news. Fire officials have announced the schedule for the lifting of evacuations on the Railroad Fire. The Fish Camp area will be open to the public tomorrow, though people will have to access from the north ...

COARSEGOLD — Just before 4 p.m. today firefighters were called out to Highway 41 near Serpa Canyon, and by the time they arrived on scene minutes later, the flames had been doused by local travelers. At 3:57 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a grass fire just starting on Highway 41 across from the Broken Bit. Meanwhile, Jessica and John Frabotta ...

OAKHURST — There was no infrared flight information for the Railroad Fire overnight, so it is still being reported at 11,603 acres with 43 percent containment. However, a look at the briefing map from this morning (at the bottom of the page) shows a lot more black (containment) line than on yesterday’s map, after 24 hours of good progress on ...

OAKHURST — The Madera County Sheriff’s Office would like to expedite the process for residents to gain access to their residences when the danger from the Railroad Fire and the Mission Fire has passed and re-population occurs. In light of this effort, the Sheriff’s Office will open the Oakhurst Substation (see map below) for residents to come present documentation as ...

OAKHURST – Residents and firefighters got a bit of a break from the dense smoke today, and there were actually blue skies over the area this afternoon near the Railroad Fire. The fire grew by only 75 acres since this morning, and is now estimated at 11,603 acres with 43 percent containment. There are currently 962 personnel assigned to the ...

NORTH FORK — Residents anxious to hear how things on progressing on the Mission Fire in the Cascadel area gathered at the Mono Rancheria Community Center this evening to hear from fire officials. The fire is now estimated at 1,035 acres with 15 percent containment. There are currently 1,245 personnel assigned to the incident including 131 engines, 21 hand crews, ...

MARIPOSA — Click through and give a listen to this song these kids and their mentor have recorded while we defy you to not crack a smile. Make sure you listen all the way through for the full flavor. During the final day of the Mariposa County Arts Council’s Summer Art Camp Academy, camp kids used their creative potential to give ...