Tumey Fire mostly contained after burning more than 1,600 acres 

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Nearly 24 hours of consistent firefighting by air and ground resources, Fresno County firefighters, and neighboring agencies have brought the Tumey Fire west of Mendota under control.

"The main challenge was the wind. We were dealing with strong winds and then shifting winds, and so that allowed the spread and growth of the fires, but thanks to our air resources, the Helitac crews, as well as our air tankers, we were really able to be aggressive and box the fire in," says Captain Zach Irion, with Fresno County Fire.

The wildfire broke out Sunday afternoon off Panoche Road near Interstate 5.

It quickly burned hundreds of acres, prompting evacuation orders for the Tumey Gun Range.

Meanwhile, firefighters are gearing up for their busiest time of the year.

"One thing that we do have, as we're seeing statewide, is an increase in staffing, and so more staffing just means more boots on the ground, right? It doesn't matter if it's on the engine crews, hand crews, or even with our newer Firehawks and the Hell attack crews, and so more personnel just means a better chance of getting a better handle on these fires much quicker," mentions Captain Irion.

Starting this week, over 50 seasonal firefighters will be on board and ready to go.

But agencies are still encouraging people to do their part in preventing fires.

Especially when participating in outdoor recreational activities.

"So if people are taking that proactive approach and really taking into consideration fire safety, that helps us out a lot, too. Once we start seeing multiple fires going throughout the state, as you were saying, resources could become limited, and so if the public takes the initiative and has a fire-safe mentality, that really helps us statewide," urges Captain Irion.

Fresno County Fire also mentioned they are confident the fire will be fully contained by this evening.

Right before those winds are expected to pick up.

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