Water shortages aren't just a Valley thing. The impact of California's drought also is being felt at Sierra campgrounds, prompting an advisory to fill your RV's tanks before heading into the mountains. The goal, says Jody Nickerson-Powell, forest recreation officer for the Sierra National Forest, is not to run...
Hail Falls in Fresno as Local Freeze Warning Continues
Yosemite, Shaver Lake, and the Grapevine all received varying amounts of snowfall over the weekend. On the Valley floor, overnight temperatures in Fresno fell to 32 degrees Monday morning, down to 31 degrees in Lemoore and 30 in Madera, the National Weather Service office in Hanford said. Forecasters issued another...
‘This Is Their Backyard,’ Battalion Chief Says of Local Firefighters Battling Creek Fire
Seth Brown, a battalion chief for Cal Fire Fresno County, tells GV Wire℠ that firefighters from cities throughout the Central Valley are taking part in the herculean effort to control the Creek Fire. "This is their backyard," says Brown. "They wanted to come up here and help fight the fire and...
Monday’s Creek Fire Updates: Nearly 202,000 Acres Burned, 10% Containment, ‘Fire Tornado’ Torched Huntington Lake
Heavy smoke from the Castle Fire in Tulare County drifted over the Creek Fire on Sunday, aiding firefighters in their efforts to get the upper hand on the now 201,908-acre blaze. In addition, Cal Fire officials said that the damage assessment for the wildfire is 36% complete. The latest report...
Valley Embraces Creek Fire Evacuees, Including A Goat Named Maggie
Residents, churches, businesses, and nonprofits across the Valley are opening their hearts — and their homes, pastures, parking lots, kitchens, and computers — to help the nearly 12,000 people who have had to flee their Sierra homes because of the Creek Fire. Churches, in particular, are stepping forward to provide...
Creek Fire Displaces Nearly 12,000 Residents. Return Could be Weeks Away, Officials Say.
Update: 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9 Nearly 12,000 people in Fresno and Madera Counties have been displaced by the Creek Fire, a CalFire official said at a Wednesday evening briefing. The fire has now consumed almost 167,000 acres and continues to threaten mountain communities including Auberrry, North Fork and Oakhurst....
‘We’re Not Losing That School’: Firefighters Save Big Creek Elementary from Creek Fire
Firefighters who were battling Saturday to save the Big Creek Elementary School and other structures in the tiny Sierra community told Big Creek superintendent/principal Toby Wait that fire was coming at them "from four directions." But firefighters were determined to keep Big Creek School from being devoured by the Creek...
Creek Fire Adds To 2M Acres Burned in State Already This Year
SHAVER LAKE — Wildfires have burned more than 2 million acres in California this year, setting a state record even as crews battled dozens of growing blazes in sweltering temperatures Monday that strained the electrical grid and threatened power outages for millions. The most striking thing about the record is...
Creek Fire Displaces Nearly 12,000 Residents. Return Could be Weeks Away, Officials Say.
Update: 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9 Nearly 12,000 people in Fresno and Madera Counties have been displaced by the Creek Fire, a CalFire official said at a Wednesday evening briefing. The fire has now consumed almost 167,000 acres and continues to threaten mountain communities including Auberrry, North Fork and Oakhurst....
‘It Looks Like Mars Out There’: Creek Fire Threatens Shaver Lake
The Creek Fire moved aggressively toward Shaver Lake on Sunday afternoon, threatening stores and cabins throughout the Sierra hamlet about 50 miles northeast of Fresno. A photo sent to GV Wire℠ by a person on the scene showed the fire next to businesses at "The Point" adjacent to the lake. Another...