Pier Fire continues to burn over 32,000 acres
Fire is 70 percent contained
Work on fully containing the 32,023-acre Pier Fire is going well, but Operations Chief Steve Burns said firefighters still have a lot more work to do.
“We have one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas. We can’t go forward until we take care of what’s behind us,” stated Burns during Friday’s morning briefing to crews heading to the fire line.
Crews were poised to initiate firing operations along dozer and hand lines north of Soda Springs on the Tule River Indian Reservation, but have been waiting for crews to the east, near Pine Flat Road, to complete their firing and contain the spot fire east of the 2 1/4 Road, said Alicia Embrey, the public affairs officer for the Sequoia National Forest and the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Firefighters on the night shift, Embrey said, fully suppressed the spot fire and feel confident that it poses no further threat. Embrey said favorable weather conditions for firing have been limited, presenting day and night crews with a narrow window in which to complete hand and aerial firing. As a result, she said westward progress is slow but steady.
On Friday, crews planned to start a firing operation on the northwestern side of the reservation on the ridge above Blue Canyon, said Embrey. Fire and smoke was likely visible to residents in and east of Soda Springs.
Due to the priority of protecting structures and communities on the reservation, Embrey said firefighters are currently delegating the majority of resources to the southern portion of the fire. Crews continue to identify and address hazard trees and debris on the roadways. Firefighters will continue to patrol and mop-up containment lines.
There are no mandatory evacuations. Communities currently under a voluntary evacuation include Alpine Village, Camp Nelson, Cedar Slope, Doyle Springs, Mountain Aire, Rogers Camp, Pierpoint Springs, Sequoia Crest, and Wishon.
As far as road closures, Embrey said Highway 190 is closed to all public between County Road 208 and Pierpoint Springs, no exceptions.
Embrey said Highway 190 between Upper Rio Vista Road and County Road 208 is a hard closure for nonresidents and a soft closure for residents with photo ID and proof of residency. Highway 190 between Pierpoint Springs and Ponderosa is a hard closure for nonresidents and a soft closure for residents with photo ID and proof of residency.
Embrey said residents returning to Doyle Springs and Wishon are able to access 190 at Upper Rio Vista and continue along County Road 208. She said all other residents must use the Western Divide Highway through Ponderosa to access the area.
A total 1,457 personnel, 28 crews, eight helicopters, 83 engines, 12 dozers and 12 water tenders are working to contain the fire fully, which is estimated to occur at approximately midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 20. As of approximately 11:30 a.m. Friday, the fire was 70 percent contained.