Evacuations Ordered as Briceburg Fire Grows Near Yosemite National Park
Around 2:30 pm on Sunday, the Briceburg Fire began in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park. It was a light fire, sitting at just 30 acres, before a spark jumped a bank and erupted to 600 acres by Monday.
Now, evacuations are underway as firefighters battle the flames and prepare for dangerously windy conditions this week.
Cal Fire told me the #BriceburgFire started as just a tiny, 30-acre blaze. Firefighters thought they had everything under control, but then a spark jumped across a bank, and caused the fire that’s now grown to about 500 acres. It’s about 5% contained. Highway 140 is closed pic.twitter.com/I4Kg177q5Q
— Marie Edinger KMPH (@MarieEdinger) October 8, 2019
Mandatory evacuations were issued for three homes in the area as well as the Briceburg Information Center and McCabe Flat Campground as the fire sits at 5 percent containment.
The fire has closed Highay 140, which is an entrance to Yosemite National Park, and any park visitors will need to take Highway 41 or Highway 120 to gain access.
The Briceburg fire spans less than a square mile of land, but it's spreading rapidly, and firefighters are at a huge disadvantage trying to stop it pic.twitter.com/o28IsBDI7V
— Marie Edinger KMPH (@MarieEdinger) October 8, 2019
The fire is currently being battled by air resources as the flames sit in an increasingly difficult terrain to battle from land.
The firefighters have increasing problems as high winds are expected to hit Northern California this week. While the critical wind conditions could possibly miss the Yosemite Valley, the increased winds in the area will certainly make it very tough to fight the flames:
2:11am CDT #SPC Day2 #FireWX Critical: portions of the sacramento valley eastern napa/lake counties western sierra foothills, portions of northern arizona southern/eastern utah western colorado https://t.co/OIf8uk7xip pic.twitter.com/UzsLootJHf
— NWS SPC (@NWSSPC) October 8, 2019
