As of 8:36 a.m. this morning, the Creek Fire has burned over 143,929 acres with zero containment over the Labor Day weekend. The cause of the fire is still not known.
There are currently 1,060 personnel assisting in the fire. The Sierra National Forest held a press conference yesterday evening to give updates on the fire.
“We’ve seen fire growth in most all areas of the fire…We’re definitely watching the North Fork and Auberry area because of the predicted winds,” says Operation Section Chief Mike Wink. “With the resources we have available, we were focusing on life and property. We’re talking structures, wild land urban interface, and then life, being the number one priority.”
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brandon Purcell gave updates about what law enforcement is doing regarding evacuation procedures and reaching out to communities.
“If you are in area where you’ve received a warning, please listen to that warning, prepare yourselves to be evacuated,” says Purcell.
Purcell also went on to advise mountain communities to not wait, for the safety of residents and law enforcement.
“We’ve had great cooperation with the community, we’ve had a great partnership with them and they’ve been doing a very good job,” says Purcell. “If you’re listening to the warnings and doing what we asked of you, that makes it safer for the community, it makes it safer for our officers, that makes it safer for our fire department.”
Purcell also addressed concerns of people trapped in some areas. He assures that these people are safe and will be evacuated.
“We have temporary areas of refuge in four different locations, mostly in Shaver Lake and above. Those people in those temporary areas…we want the families to understand that those people are safe,” says Purcell. “They are not in danger, they are a high priority for us to get out.”
Evacuation centers for people and animals displaced by the Creek Fire have been set up at the following locations:
- A Fresno County evacuation center for people and small animals is established at Clovis North High School, 2770 E International Ave, Fresno, CA 93730.
- A Madera County evacuation center is established at the Oakhurst Community Center, 39800 Fresno Flats Rd, Oakhurst, CA 93644.
- Clovis Rodeo Association has an evacuation center for large animals at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds, 748 Rodeo Dr., Clovis, CA 93612.
- Fresno Fairgrounds has set up an evacuation center to receive animals, contact Central California Animal Disaster Team at 888-402-2238 or the Fresno County Sheriff Office at 559-600-3111 for arrangements.
For updates on the Creek Fire, go to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7147/.