Junction Fire ebbs, some evacuees return
OAKHURST, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Madera County Sheriff's Office said all evacuations have been lifted in Oakhurst and all roads are now open. All evacuated resident are now allowed to return to their homes.
-----------
A wildfire that surged early and gave a scare to Oakhurst has been tamed by firefighters, and some of the more than 1,000 people who evacuated their homes have returned.
"We're not seeing the fire expand like we thought," Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said Tuesday after crews had the fire 35 percent contained amid higher humidity and lower wind speeds.
Nine structures were destroyed as the fire burned nearly 1 square mile in Oakhurst. Officials revised earlier estimates that it had spanned about twice as much ground.
The Suburban Propane building was one of the structures destroyed. Cal Fire crews had to let it burn in fear the tanks would explode. The Madera County Sheriff's Office said Suburban Propane did not blow up, only the office caught fire. Fire crews were able to combat flames before any more damage could occur.
The flames erupted Monday near Oakhurst, a community of several thousand about 16 miles from a Yosemite entrance, forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate and thousands more to prepare to leave. Those residents were allowed to go home late Wednesday morning.
A road leading visitors to the park reopened Tuesday, and the park itself remained unaffected by the blaze.
Evacuated residents in Oakhurst said they had braced for the worst. "There is nothing you can do when a fire is raging," said Clement Williams, 67. "You just have to flee. It's a real sinking feeling."
Williams and his wife, Gretchen Williams, 63, were trying to get information about the fire and their home from officials. They spent the night at a nearby hotel.
Oakhurst was smoky, and businesses downtown were closed as the fire burned about a mile away.
The fire comes amid California's third straight year of drought, creating tinder-dry conditions that have significantly increased the fire danger around the state and sent firefighters scrambling seemingly nonstop from blaze to blaze.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
Junction Fire Incident Information
Last Updated: August 20, 2014 9:15 am
Public Information Line: (559) 658-2560; ext. 115
Conditions:
Firefighters made significant progress today. Aggressive firefighting, in addition to lower temperatures, a rise in humidity and less wind have provided an opportunity to increase containment lines. Firefighters from throughout the central valley and the state have been deployed to defend homes in the area.
- Acres Burned - Containment: 612 acres - 40% contained
- Date/Time Started: August 18, 2014 1:50 pm
- Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit
- Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit
- Structures Threatened: 500
- Structures Destroyed: 9
- Injuries: 2
- Cause: Under investigation
SCHOOL CLOSURES:
The following schools will be closed Tuesday due to the Oakhurst Fire:
Yosemite High School
Oak Creek Intermediate
Oakhurst Elementary
Wasuma Elementary
