Corrine Fire, Sky Fire burn 1,420 acres in Madera County

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The smoke is starting to clear in Oakhurst. The Sky Fire is fully contained. The flames are out, but firefighters still have a lot of work to do.

One big machine and hundreds of firefighters are still in Oakhurst. They are mopping up the Sky Fire and covering up the scars it left behind.

Bruce Robison, with the U.S. Forest Service, said, "It's not gonna look real pretty, but it's gonna keep the soil in place."

Robison is a heavy equipment manager and a resource manager and he's here to help restore the land, "either by equipment or by hand, to put it back in the condition it was in, if possible."

It isn't easy work. The scars run deep, across 500 acres, up and down the hills. A lot of it is buried in ashes, surrounded by dead trees, smoldering stumps and hot spots.

"What we don't want people to do is to go walking into the forest, step into those and get severely burned," said Sean Collins with the South Central Sierra Incident Management Team.

In the meantime, firefighters have the road blocked at Road 632 and Buckskin Lane, which is just around the corner from where the fire started.

Collins added, "Firefighters will go through, grid the area to find those pockets of heat and take care of it."

It'll take time because the hills are steep, it's hot outside and some crews have been working five days straight. People who live here appreciate the work, the protection, and there are signs hanging to show it.

"To see the local people appreciate what we do and why we do it, it just keeps us going," said Collins.

They plan to keep going, until the hills are safe and the scars can start to heal on their own.

Meanwhile, Cal Fire crews have fully contained the fire near North Fork in Madera County. The Corrine Fire scorched 920 acres near Road 222. The cause of that fire is still unknown.

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Evacuation center:

• Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church, 39696 Highway 41, Oakhurst, CA 93644

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Corrine Fire stats:

• 920 acres, 100 percent contained.
• Located near Road 222 and Tunoi Place, north of Auberry.
• Structures Destroyed: 3 (outbuildings).
• Mandatory evacuation orders and advisories have been lifted for all areas of the fire, including:
• Road 225 from Lark to Mammoth Road.
• Road 225 from Road 235 to Tunobi Place.
• Road 222 north of Tunobi Place to Carmen Ranch Road.
• Corrine Lake Road south to Box Canyon and east to Road 222.

NOTE: Residents returning to their homes should keep an increased level of awareness of fire activity, stay tuned into local media for further instructions. Residents should use caution when returning and be aware of fire apparatus still working in the area.

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Sky Fire stats:

• 500 acres, 100 percent contained.
• Located along Sky Ranch Road.
• All evacuation orders have been lifted.
• Sky Ranch Road remains closed as are all roads leading into the fire area until further notice.

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