Officials: Pier Fire remains stagnant
25 percent contained; more changes to evacuations
The Pier Fire remained stagnant Wednesday, as total acres burned was at 20,864 acres, the U.S. Forest Service reported and as result more people were able to return to their homes.
Effective at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, officials lifted the voluntary evacuation order for residents in the Springville community as well as for all of Balch Park Road, Bear Creek Road, Mountain Home State Forest and SCICON, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department announced.
Upper Rio Vista and Cow Mountain (Springville) are changing from a mandatory evacuation order to a voluntary evacuation order. That means residents may return to their homes after showing proof of residency to posted law enforcement. But residents should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
Earlier Wednesday, the voluntary evacuation order for Ponderosa was lifted. The following roads are available for reentry into Ponderosa: Western Divide (M107) through Parker Pass (M-50) from California Hot Springs. Highway 190 east of Springville remains closed.
All other mandatory and voluntary evacuations as well as road closures remain in effect.
As of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, a total of
1,687 personnel along with 35 crews, eight helicopters, 131 engines, 21 dozers and 14 water tenders were able to contain 25 percent of the fire, which has been burning since around 2 a.m. Aug. 29 and has forced more than 1,500 residents living in mountain communities from their homes.
Denise Alonzo, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Forest Service, said a combination of light winds, high overnight humidity and several days of direct fire-suppression accomplishments have resulted in reduced fire activity and minimal perimeter growth in many places.
On the northwestern side of the fire south of Bear Creek Road, Alonzo said crews mopped up firelines. Near Wishon, on the fire’s north side, firefighters completed constructing direct fireline along the Fox Farm Road (FR 20S03). The fire west of Sequoia Crest is not significantly active. Crews continue to patrol dozer lines and firelines between Sequoia Crest and Alpine Village, immediately extinguishing hot spots as they find them.
Alonzo said the operational priority for crews Wednesday was the fire’s east side — from Alpine Village to Rogers Camp — which she said was currently the most active area of the fire. They are constructing dozer line and handline to create a continuous fireline to keep the fire west of Camp Nelson. If weather conditions permit, Alonzo said firefighters will conduct firing operations along the contingency line to create a buffer between unburned vegetation and the main fire, which she said is approximately a half mile west.
In the Tule River Indian Reservation, Alonzo said firefighters are using existing roads as contingency lines to limit the fire’s spread southward. On the southwest side of the fire, ground crews will conduct firing operations in the grass and oak woodlands east of Springville. She said they will ignite vegetation using drop torches and aerial ignition. She noted that residents could observe abundant smoke as a result.
Alonzo said thunderstorms could develop, but are likely to be east of the fire area.
Communities currently under a mandatory evacuation order include Sequoia Crest, Mountain Aire, Rogers Camp, Pierpoint Springs, Cedar Slope, Camp Nelson, Doyle Springs, Alpine Village and Wishon.
Communities currently under a voluntary evacuation order include residences along Upper Rio Vista and the Cow Mountain (Springville area).
The only evacuation center for affected residents is in the Student Center at Porterville Community College, 100 E. College Ave. For more information on the evacuation center call (661) 324-6427 during weekdays or 1-800-733-2767.
Alonzo said Sequoia National Forest trails, roads and lands around the Pier Fire are closed. Cal Fire has closed Mountain Home State Forest, and noted that Tulare County has closed Balch Park. She said all areas are closed until the fire is brought under control.
Alonzo said suppression repair work will take additional time after the fire is contained and said that recreationists should plan ahead.