Fire crews beginning to get a handle on Mission Fire

NORTH FORK, Calif. (KFSN) -- Convoys of engines carrying fire personnel from across the state have become common place for the small community of North Fork. Crews are beginning to get a handle on the Mission Fire burning in the Cascadel area since Sunday.

"Last night to this morning we had minimal to no growth, so we're still sitting at about a 1,035 acres-- which last night we hit it hard to get the containment up to 25-percent," said Dan Olson with Cal Fire.

This fire is drawing in personnel from other areas and surrounding fires. Bob Coolidge is part of the 1,400 firefighters stationed in the area. He and his team were called in from Santa Barbara County to help with mop up duties Thursday.

"We have eight 20 man crews heading up to this fire, and what we'll do is whatever with line construction and mop up and relive some of the front line crews that could go get some rest."

Most of the Fire is burning north of town in the Sierra National Forest, where 250 structures remain threatened. Chuck Boreen's home sits just a few hundred yards from the path of the blaze.

"I was scared to death. I'm 74-years-old, what am I gonna do. Yeah, we were scared until we saw it going over the hill and we knew it wasn't coming our way."

Scenes like the charred hillsides are cause for concern, but residents said this is the time for the community to band together.

"People are resilient here and they come back, they're a mountain community and they're mountain strong is what the term is," said Leonard Anderenacci of North Fork.

While firefighters handle the blaze PG&E crew members are working just as hard to restore power for those families who had to be evacuated. The goal is to have electricity back on once officials say it is safe for them to return home

Evacuation orders remain in effect for the Cascadel Woods area but will be lifted for areas south of Road 225 at 5:00 p.m.