Shifts toward Springville
Small town under voluntary evacuation
The Pier Fire burned over 1,000 acres Thursday night and was being pushed by winds toward Springville leading evacuations Friday morning, the U.S. Forest Service reported.
As a result of the down-canyon winds aligning with the Tule River drainage, residents of Upper Rio Vista and Cow Mountain areas, which are a couple of miles northeast of Springville on Highway 190 were placed under mandatory evacuation early Friday morning.
Later in the morning, officials issued a voluntary evacuation for the small community of Springville. Ponderosa is still under voluntary evacuation while Upper Rio Vista joins Sequoia Crest, Mountain Aire (Rogers Camp), Pierpoint Springs, Cedar Slope, Camp Nelson, Doyle Springs, Alpine and Wishon under mandatory evacuation.
The Rio Vista evacuation impacted 18 homes and 40 people, but no structures were damaged.
As of 9 p.m. Friday, the fire, which is believed to be human caused, has burned 8,475 acres and was at zero percent containment. A total 1,243 fire personnel were working to put out the fire with help from 25 hand crews, five helicopters, 87 engines, 14 dozers and 11 water tenders.
Alicia Embrey, the public affairs officer for the Sequoia National Forest and the Giant Sequoia National Monument, said on the west side the fire advanced down Coffee Canyon into Long Valley north of Cow Mountain.
On the northeast side, Embrey said the fire made a run up Soda Creek toward Sequoia Crest. She said previously constructed control
lines successfully kept the fire west of Sequoia Crest. Structure protection crews assessed residential properties in the area.
Firefighters wrapped the Jordan Peak lookout on Thursday, she said. They also completed construction of indirect fireline between Sequoia Crest and Highway 190 near Camp Nelson. Aircraft assisted firefighters with water and retardant to reinforce line construction near the Sequoia Crest area and in the Black Mountain Grove.
On Friday, on the east side of the fire, Embrey said crews continued to reinforce and strengthen control lines from Sequoia Crest to Camp Nelson. Structure protection assessment continues.
On the west side, Embrey said firefighters are cautiously optimistic about keeping the fire east of the community of Rio Vista. Contingency lines on the north and south sides of the fire have been constructed should the fire continue to spread. She added that the fire has not advanced north of the Wishon River drainage or south into the Tule River Indian Reservation.
High pressure strengthened over the area Friday extending through to Sunday, Embrey said. Temperatures continue to increase combined with lowered relative humidity. She said winds will turn to the east
and southeast with most winds remaining terrain driven.
The fire is well established in areas where trees are dead due to drought and beetle kill.
Carrie Monteiro, a public information officer with the County of Tulare, said officials encourage Springville residents to prepare to evacuate. Residents living there should assemble all essential valuables, critical medications, changes of clothing, toiletries and essential documents for themselves and their pets, and place them in their vehicle. Residents should also prepare their animals to evacuate with them.
Springville residents should park their vehicles facing outward and keep their vehicles fully fueled. If any resident has a disability, transportation challenges or other situations which would require extra time to evacuate, Monteiro said they should consider leaving the area immediately.
Monteiro said the recommended evacuation route for Springville residents is Highway 190 to Porterville.
When notifying residents of a voluntary evacuation, Monteiro said there is a multi-phased procedure, which involves organizing a news release that is sent out to all forms of media, including newspapers, TV, radio and landline phones. She said an evacuation message also goes to residents
who are under the county’s emergency phone line notification system.
In addition, Monteiro said evacuation notices are also posted to social media outlets, including the county’s and the U.S. Forest Services’ Facebook and Twitter pages.
For more information, call 636-5496.
The only evacuation center for evacuees remains in the Student Conference Center at Porterville College, 100 E. College Ave. For more information about the evacuation center, call 1-800 Red Cross.
Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest (Cal Fire) and Balch Park (Tulare County) remain closed until the fire is brought under
control.
Embrey said the following roads are closed to all traffic:
Highway 190 east of Springville is closed to eastbound traffic at Balch Park Road.
Mountain Road 107 (Western Divide Highway) is closed to westbound traffic at Fox Road in Ponderosa.
And the following roads are closed to all traffic, except local residents with a photo ID:
Bear Creek Road (County Road 220) at its junction with Balch Park Road (County Road J37).
t Balch Park Road (County Road J37) at its junction with Yokohl Valley Road.