Camp Fresno evacuated as Garnet Fire burns three miles away

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- With the Garnet Fire prompting new evacuations, the flames are moving closer to Camp Fresno.

As of Tuesday, they are three miles from Camp Fresno.

"We evacuated our team, which resulted in relocating vehicles, really securing the camp from anything that could happen, disconnecting propane lines," City of Fresno Parks Director Aaron Aguirre told Action News.

The evacuation came just days before explosive growth over the weekend. The Garnet fire expanded by 10,000 acres on Sunday alone.

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Its smoke cloud is visible for miles.

"We took our own safeguards into place prior to the official evacuation notice that came out this Sunday, and wanted to make sure our staff was safe and out of harm's way," Aguirre said.

The camp, described as a "hidden treasure," is tucked deep in the woods, sitting on 40 acres near Dinkey Creek.

Valley children have flocked to the camp each summer for generations.

About a hundred years old, the City of Fresno has owned it since the 1920s. Officials invested millions to restore it a few years ago.

"This happened during our busiest season, which was Labor Day weekend, so we had the entire camp reserved," Aguirre said.

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He confirms the camp is currently "intact." Firefighters are now working to protect it, along with the surrounding areas of Dinkey Creek and Shaver Lake.

City officials, like many in the mountain community, are on edge, as the Garnet Fire rages for the 16th day.

"At this point, it's going to be a wait-and-see," Aguirre said.

With the now-evacuated camp personnel just weeks away from closing out the season and winterizing the camp, they are hopeful they will return, along with the campers.

"We feel confident that at the end of this, once our firefighters get this under control, that we'll be able to resume activities back at Camp Fresno," Aguirre said.

Garnet Fire officials will host a virtual community meeting to provide the current fire situation and address questions.

The virtual meeting will be live-streamed on the U.S. Forest Service's Facebook page on Tuesday, September 9, at 6 p.m.

Questions for the metting can be sent to 2025.garnet.ca@firenet.gov

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