14 homes reported to be destroyed by Windy Fire
While firefighters continue to gain on the Windy Fire, initial reports on the damage of the fire has done are now being given.
Officials reported 14 homes and 12 outbuildings have been destroyed as a result of the fire. Earlier in the week officials stated a number of structures were destroyed in the Sugarloaf area.
As of Thursday morning the fire burning in the Tule River Indian Reservation and Sequoia National Forest, including the Giant Sequoia National Monument, has burned 88,068 acres and was 35 percent contained. Over a 24-your period between Wednesday and Thursday the fire increased by 315 acres.
Residents requesting information on the status of their property can call the Tulare County Information Hotline, (559) 802-9790. Affected property owners should complete the September Lightning Fire Information Form online at: https://bit.ly/3etdzji.
Sequioa National Forest Service staff were continuing to assess property damage in the White River and Spear Creek Summer Home Tracts in the Sequoia National Forest on Thursday..
“Another quite night, with minimal activity or growth in the fire’s perimeter,” officials stated about what was happening Wednesday night. “The top priority continues to be the southwest side where crews have made good progress securing containment lines and providing structure defense around Sugarloaf and Sugarloaf Mountain Park north towards Pine Flat and California Hot Springs.
Crews are constructing and improving indirect containment lines from Mt Road 50 (at the switchbacks) northwest to Lone Pine Mountain. On the northwest side, crews continue to construct direct and indirect containment lines from Wheatons south to Corral Hill. If conditions permit, a tactical firing operation will be initiated to help improve containment lines.”
Officials added on the north side, firefighters continued tactical patrols extinguishing any burning vegetation, trees and stumps along the Coy Flat Road (FS Road 21S94) northeast to Coy Flat.
On the northeast side near Ponderosa, crews continued holding and improving containment lines east to the Lloyd Meadow Road (FS Road 22S28) and south to Johnsondale. Crews will continue tactical patrols extinguishing any burning stumps, trees and vegetation.
On the east and southeast side, Crews continued structure defense along Sugarloaf Road (23S16). “In the Kern River Canyon, the fire has not moved much on the upper west slope between Tobias Creek and Flynn Canyon,” officials stated. “Due to the steep, rocky terrain and the difficulty of getting firefighters into the area, Bombardier CL415S, commonly known as water scoopers, may be used (after the smoke clears) to drop water on the active portions of the fire.
“On the south side, the fire has backed into the 2016 Cedar Fire which has slowed the advancing fire front. Small spot fires, burning in pockets of dead and down trees, continue to burn and crews are constructing direct and indirect lines to contain them.”
Officials were still watching the weather for the rest of the week in which warmer temperatures and lower humidity were expected. Smoke was expected to be bad Thursday until the afternoon when the inversion was expected to lift.
Many evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings on Thursday. Evacuation orders and warnings can change suddenly.
Refer to https://tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies/ for the Windy Fire Evacuation Warning Area Map. For more information, call 2-1-1.
Tulare County residents can sign up to receive county emergency notifications by registering at Alerttc.com. The daily smoke outlook is available at https:// wildlandfiresmoke.net/ outl.../southernsierra-sequoia A fire and smoke Map is available at https://fire.airnow. gov/