Creek Fire: 196,667 acres burned with 8% containment, latest evacuations issued for Fresno, Madera, Mariposa counties
The fire has forced 45,000 evacuations in Fresno and Madera Counties.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Creek Fire was first sparked on Friday, September 4, and was 196,667 acres as of Saturday morning with 6% containment. At least 377 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 14,000 are threatened. Officials say 30,000 residents of Fresno County and 15,000 residents of Madera County have been evacuated.
Saturday, September 12
During a briefing on Saturday evening, officials said the containment of the Creek Fire has grown to 8% and the acreage remains at 196,667. They say crews have been successful with adding new lines along the ground, but this is the fourth straight day with no air attack due to the thick smoke.
National Guard crews were able to use infrared technology to detect a 20-30 acre spot fire on the southeast side of the fire, but it is within the containment line crews are building.
No new evacuation orders or warnings have been issued, but the Fresno County Sheriff's Office says it arrested three people for driving through roadblocks.
The Madera County Sheriff's Office says it can now confirm at least six homes have burned, and those owners have been notified.
CAL Fire released an interactive map that shows preliminary information about damaged and destroyed property in Fresno County. You can enter an address and see the condition of that area.
Not all properties have been inspected at this time and CAL Fire says that should change in two weeks.
EVACUATION ZONE MAP: Click here to see the current evacuation zone for the Creek Fire
The fire started near the communities of Shaver Lake, Big Creek, and Huntington Lake but has quickly spread. CAL FIRE officials say they do not expect to have fire contained until October 15.
Scroll down for a list of evacuation orders in Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties.
PHOTOS: Stunning images from the Creek Fire
Friday, September 11
During a briefing on Friday evening, officials said the wildfire has grown to 182,225 acres and that there are now 1,811 firefighters battling it.
They said 17% of 4,900 structures in the fire area had been inspected and provided a breakdown of how many had been impacted.
Seven single-family homes have been damaged and 92 destroyed, two businesses have been damaged and five destroyed, and five outbuildings have been damaged and 139 destroyed.
Most of the buildings damaged or destroyed are in Fresno County, officials said.
One person has been arrested for driving through a roadblock.
Mandatory evacuation orders and warnings are still in effect. Fire officials say it will likely be weeks until the evacuees can return home.
Thursday, September 10
During a briefing on Thursday evening, officials said containment had grown to 6% and that it was the first day firefighters were on the offense instead of the defense, calling it a 'turning point' in their fight against the flames.
Earlier in the day, CAL FIRE said the Creek Fire, along with five other large wildfires currently burning in the state, have been listed as 20 of the largest wildfires in California's history.
A second air attack team was grounded due to the heavy smoke. The aircraft dropped more than 100,000 gallons of flame retardant on Wednesday, officials say.
The first air attack plane flew over the fire but couldn't recommend any drops because of high pressure holding the smoke cover.
Air quality forecast for Thursday is unhealthy for everyone in every county due to smoke from the Creek Fire. ABC30 meteorologist Madeline Evans said wind from the northeast will push in more smoke through the day and high pressure will keep it sitting over the Valley floor.
You can track air quality in your area by clicking here.
The County of Fresno also passed an emergency proclamation on Thursday, passed with a 5-0 vote. The county is in need of emergency financial help as the Creek Fire continues to burn.
On Thursday, the Clovis Rodeo said their grounds had reached capacity for taking in livestock and large animals. Anyone who needs to shelter large animals can bring them to the Fresno Fairgrounds. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, September 9
Fire crews were working to produce a containment line from the San Joaquin River toward Castle Peak on Wednesday morning, CAL FIRE said.
During a briefing on Wednesday night, fire officials detailed the efforts underway to protect homes and addressed concerns from evacuees on when they'll be able to return.
For now, authorities said the thousands of residents forced out by flames should prepare to spend weeks away from their houses.
Special teams of sheriff's deputies and officers are assigned to patrol neighborhoods and prevent looting.
Firefighters are working around the clock doing burning operations between the main fire and containment lines to stop the flames from spreading to neighborhoods.
One area of concern is near Bass Lake, where bulldozers are currently cutting lines to protect nearby communities in case the fire spreads.
Tuesday, September 8
Helicopters landed at the Army National Guard base in Fresno with dozens of people who were stranded in China Peak and Lake Edison on Tuesday morning.
More evacuation orders were also issued for parts of Fresno County.
On Tuesday evening, the county said around 30,000 people had been evacuated.
In a press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the airlift operations and the rescues made over the weekend in Mammoth Pool.
"We talk about grit. We talk about determination. We talk about people that are committed to their job," Gov. Gavin Newsom said of the rescue operations in a press conference. "That was demonstrated by an act of real courage over the course of the weekend."
Scroll down to find the latest evacuations orders and warnings in Fresno, Madera and Mariposa counties.
Monday, September 7
During a press conference on Monday, fire officials said 200 people are currently stuck in the Sierra National Forest across four different temporary refuge areas.
Officials urged people to be prepared and proactive when it comes to evacuation orders.
They also said that there are two separate incident command teams working the Creek Fire: one is a federal team that is handling the north side of the blaze and another is working the south side of the fire into Fresno County.
Sunday, September 6
The fast-moving wildfire trapped more than 200 people near the Mammoth Pool Reservoir in Madera County. National Guard helicopters were called in to airlift them to safety.
On Sunday evening, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Fresno, Madera and Mariposa counties due to the fire. The declaration will help the state deploy additional resources to tackle it.
RELATED: Creek Fire: Resources for evacuees affected by blaze
EVACUATION ORDERS
Fresno County: Tollhouse, Bourrough Valley, Cold Springs Rancheria, Watts Valley Road from Pittman Hill to Maxon Road, Maxon Road to Trimmer Springs Road, Pittman Hill from Humphreys Station to Sample Road
Madera County: Bass Lake (including Wishon, Bass Lake Annex and Manzanita), North Fork
An evacuation order means there is an immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
EVACUATION WARNINGS
Fresno County: Prather, South of Little Sandy / Lodge Rd. North East of Tollhouse Rd. North of Millerton Rd. / Nicholas Rd. East Auberry Rd.
Madera County: Oakhurst, O'Neals, Walker Grade, Chukchansi, Indian Lakes, Coarsegold east of Highway 41
Mariposa County: Fish Camp
An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets/livestock should leave now.
RELATED: Where to bring large animals, livestock displaced by Creek Fire
RELATED: Here's how you can help people impacted by the Creek Fire
Click here for the latest stories, videos from the Creek Fire.
