Garnet Fire crews keep flames from spreading east in Fresno County

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Overnight, the Garnet Fire has grown by 3,500 acres since Labor Day.

The main concern for fire crews on Tuesday is developing thunderstorms and dry lightning, which was the cause behind the Garnet Fire.

Crews were working Tuesday to keep the fire from spreading east.

In the span of nine days, it has been an all-out assault from the air and the ground.

MAP: See where California wildfires are burning right now

Dozer operators pushed the fire line in an effort to slow the Garnet Fire's spread.

Heavy equipment like this helped crews carve a critical containment line.

Currently, the fire remains north of the Kings River.

"Despite a lot of the smoke that you might see, the fire isn't growing that much right now. We do have fire moving toward the east, to the northeast and that's where some of our concern is," said Sam Wu, Public Information Officer for the U.S. Forest Service.

Moving toward the west, fire crews worked to keep the fire east of the Black Rock Road into the Balch Camp area.

Wu's concern was exacerbated by developing thunderstorms forecasted over the next couple of days. Weather meteorologists said the outflow winds from those thunderstorms are the unpredictable variable today.

Fire analysts said fire behavior hinges on three key factors which are fuel, weather, and terrain.

"This country is pretty steep, so the terrain is pretty difficult for our firefighters to work in safely. Some areas there are some sheer cliffs," said Wu.

Another priority: protecting the McKinley Grove of Giant Sequoias. Crews worked through Labor Day to safeguard the ancient and sacred trees.

On Labor Day, crews prioritized protecting the McKinley Grove of the Giant Sequoias, which are critical resources for the public.

"There has been consultation between the tribal liaison as well as other folks to make sure that that area is protected in a way that brings fire to the ground safely and effectively," said Wu.

Despite its remote location, other protective measures have been taken to ensure the infrastructure along the Kings River around Balch Camp is safe from the flames.

That includes adding camps for fire crews to access the flames faster.

"Being able to get there is important; being able to stay out there and continue working on the fire 24 hours a day, that's important for us to be able to button this up as quickly as possible," said Wu.

As many as 30 agencies from Hawaii to New York City are here to help knock this fire down.

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