UPDATE July 10 from CALFIRE –  The Fish Fire is 100% contained.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

UPDATE AT 6:52 PM –

The Fish Fire (Southwest of Big Pine at Hwy. 395 and Fish Springs Road) is 1,103 acres and is now 85% contained. 

 Firefighters continued to make progress containing the fire today.  Some moderately strong winds occurred in the area this afternoon and firefighters were on alert for any hot spots near the fires perimeter that could threaten the containment line.  The fire stayed within the established containment lines and firefighters are continuing work to complete a line around the entire fires perimeter which will provide 100 % containment. Firefighters will monitor and patrol the fire area throughout the night and additional crews will be assigned tomorrow to complete containment lines and mop up hot spots.

 Hwy. 395 remains open in both directions through the fire area.  Motorists travelling Hwy. 395 are asked to slow down and exercise caution in the fire area south of Big Pine, as firefighters are still working in the area and along the highway


EARLIER UPDATE:

FISH FIRE
Incident Update
Sunday, July 8, 2012, 8:00 a.m.
HYPERLINK “http://www.fire.ca.gov” www.fire.ca.gov

Fire Information Line: (951) 377-8380

Location:
Fish Springs Rd, west of Hwy 395, south of Big Pine
County:
Inyo County

Acres:
1,103 acres
% Containment:
60% contained
Report Date & Time:
July 7, 2012, 1:59 p.m.
Expected Containment:

Injuries:
0
Cause:
Under Investigation

Structures Threatened:
No
Structures Destroyed:
0
EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT ASSIGNED:
Fire Engines:
10
Fire Crews:
8
Bulldozers:
0

Airtankers:
0
Helicopters:
0
Water Tenders:
5

Total Personnel:
190

Evacuations: All have been cancelled.

Road Closures:   Hwy 395 is open in both directions.

Current Situation: Firefighters are continuing construction of a containment line around the perimeter of the fire, as well as mopping up hot spots.  Voluntary evacuations for the community of Big Pine were lifted at approximately 9:00 PM on July 7.  No structures have been damaged or destroyed by the fire.  There have been no injuries reported.  Hwy. 395 is open in both directions and motorists travelling Hwy. 395 are asked to slow down and exercise caution in the fire area (south of Big Pine), as firefighters are still working in the area and along the highway.
EARLIER UPDATE:

The Fish Fire (Southwest of Big Pine at Hwy. 395 and Fish Springs Road) is 1,103 acres and 60% contained.  The fire’s forward rate of spread was stopped by firefighters at approximately 7:00 PM, prompting the lifting of voluntary evacuations in Big Pine. Over 200 firefighters worked throughout the night putting in containment line around the fire and mopping up hot spots. The fire was mapped overnight and the acreage is confirmed at 1,103 acres.

Hwy. 395 is open in both directions through the fire area.  Motorists traveling Hwy. 395 are asked to slow down and exercise caution in the fire area south of Big Pine, as firefighters are still working in the area and along the highway.

No evacuation in place and no homes threatened. There have been no injuries reported.

***Update Julie Hutchison, CalFire – Saturday night

The Fish Fire is approximately 175 acres and 20% Contained.  Firefighters from CAL FIRE and cooperating agencies worked throughout the night to completely contain the fire.  Additional engines and firefighters have arrived from the San Bernardino Unit of CAL FIRE to assist firefighters who have been working the fire since it was reported at 1:59 PM Saturday afternoon.

(As of 10pm Saturday) The CHP continues to regulate traffic on Hwy. 395 in the fire area for both north and south bound traffic. The south bound lanes of Hwy. 395 remain closed due to the fire and south bound traffic is being escorted by CHP through the fire are utilizing the north bound lanes.  Delays are possible in both directions and drivers should exercise extreme caution when travelling on Hwy. 395 in the area south of Big Pine.    *Please contact the CHP for additional information on the closure and/or regulation of traffic as conditions can change.

 

UPDATE from Julie Hutchison, CalFire –

The Fish Fire is currently holding at approximately 175 acres

  • Voluntary evacuations for Big Pine have been lifted and the evacuation center at Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop is closed.
  • CHP will continue escorts on Hwy. 395. ***Please contact the CHP for up to date information as fire conditions could change requiring the highway to be closed

UPDATE: CHP is escorting traffic northbound but not southbound.  Changing fire conditions do impact Highway 395 travel.  Everything else is status quo.

For more information on the “Fish Fire”, go to the CalFire incident site: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current

UPDATE: 5:20pm –  ***The CHP is escorting traffic both northbound and southbound according to the Inyo Sheriff’s Department.  Officers ask that you contact the CHP for up to date information as fire conditions could change requiring the highway to be closed.  The cause of the fire is currently unknown.  At this hour, the voluntary evacuation order remained in effect for Big Pine residents. ***

*** Meanwhile, reports indicated that a truck caught fire on 395 near Gorge Road.  Traffic was reportedly diverted to old 395.  Some brush caught fire from the burning truck. Other reports indicated that the truck contained 48,000 pounds of french fries.  ***

DSC00144

From Poverty Hills, a huge plume of smoke revealed the extensive fire ahead.

As afternoon winds picked up, fire broke out in dry brush on the west side of Highway 395 about 5 miles south of Big Pine.  The fire moved fast toward the community.  At about 5pm the fire had reached about a couple of miles outside of Big Pine. Authorities are calling it the Fish Fire.  As of Saturday evening, the fire had burned 175 acres and was 0% contained.

Inyo Sheriff Public Information Officer Carma Roper said the fire started on the west side of the highway near Fish  Springs with a report coming in to the dispatch at 2pm.  Roper said Big Pine residents were under a voluntary evacuation order with a shelter set up at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop.

DSC00145

Flames quickly moved north as the high afternoon winds whipped in from the south.

At about 2:30pm, the California Highway Patrol put into effect a hard closure of Highway 395 north of Independence and south of Bishop in the Keough’s area.  The fire had jumped over the highway south of Big Pine and burned the center divider.  Heavy smoke made travel through that area very difficult.

Highway traffic was backed up in long lines asvacationers and many others tried to reach their destinations on the hot and windy Saturday afternoon.

Ms. Roper said that the following resources are currently assisting: Big Pine Fire, Bishop Fire, Olancha Fire, Lone Pine Fire, Independence Fire, CalFIRE, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Inyo National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and Bishop Tribal Police.

The community of Big Pine survived a seriously damaging fire last March when fire swept into the town from the west and south, destroying  mobile homes and terrorizing community members threatened with the loss of everything.

In April fire destroyed a home in Big Pine.  The two men inside narrowly escaped.  With heavy  hearts, local residents watched the smoke move closer from the south.  With the report of CHP escorting traffic through the fire area, hopes went up that firefighters would soon have the blazes stopped short of moving into Big Pine.

 

Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading