What we know about the Creek fire: Where it started, latest Sierra Nevada evacuations
The Creek fire has been burning since sparking Friday evening in Fresno County, and on Saturday crossed the San Joaquin River to the east and made a run into the Mammoth Pool area in Madera County. It is burning on both sides of the San Joaquin River in steep, rugged terrain.
The Creek fire as of Sunday morning was 45,500 acres (more than 70 square miles), after starting around 600. It is 0% contained, according to Cal Fire officials.
»» LIVE UPDATES: Follow the latest news on evacuations, the fire's spread and the rescue at Mammoth Pools
Where did the Creek fire start?
The Creek fire started near Big Creek and Huntington Lake in Fresno County (see the map below).
Where is the wildfire spreading?
The Madera County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that an evacuation warning is likely for the town of North Fork, meaning an evacuation order is imminent.
It also is possible that Bass Lake will also go under an evacuation warning in the next few days.
Evacuations
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for these areas:
-- Shaver Lake down to Cressman
-- Big Creek
-- Huntington Lake
-- Camp Sierra
-- Italian Bar Road from Road 225 to Reddinger Lake
-- High Sierra areas, which include: Florence Lake, Ward Lake, Portal Forebay, Edison Lake Mono Hot Springs, Kaiser and all campgrounds
An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life, and the area is lawfully closed to public access.
There are evacuation warnings in effect in these spots:
-- Cressman Road
-- Auberry Road from the top of the four lanes to Powerhouse to the San Joaquin River
-- Jose Basin, Alder Spring, Mono Wind Casino, Meadow Lakes and Mile High
An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life and property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave the area.
The Fresno-Madera Red Cross has established two temporary evacuation points: at Foothill Elementary School in Prather in Fresno County and at North Fork Elementary School in the Madera County town of North Fork.
Highway 168 is closed 2.7 miles east of Prather below the four lanes. The public is advised there is no access to the Shaver Lake area.
Update at 11:30 a.m.: The Red Cross has opened an additional temporary evacuation point at Clovis North High to assist families who have been evacuated due to the Creek Fire. The Fresno Convention Center is being used as a reunification point for those rescued who didn't require medical attention, and it also has an evacuation point at the Oakhurst Community Center in Oakhurst
What happened at Mammoth Pool?
The Madera County Sheriff's Office and California Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinated a rescue of more than 200 people sheltering-in-place at Mammoth Pool, trapped when the fast-moving Creek Fire crossed the north side of the San Joaquin River.
The operation was completed Sunday morning with 20 transported to area hospitals with injuries including broken bones and burns. Two chose to stay behind, refusing evacuation, according to the sheriff's office.
The majority of the victims were flown to Fresno Yosemite International Airport, where a triage center was set up. Units from the Fresno and Clovis fire departments then were standing by to help transfer patients to local hospitals.
How did the fire start?
The cause of the fire is not known at this time and remains under investigation.
Fighting the wildfire
There are 800 fire personnel battling the wildfire from the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, Fresno County Fire, Fresno County Sheriff's Office, Madera County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Southern California Edison and PG&E.
Fire crews, working in steep, rugged terrain, will also have to contend with temperatures on Sunday expected to hit 110 degrees in the afternoon.
There are 25 engines, three air tankers and two helicopters fighting the blaze.
Property damage
There are 3,000 structures threatened by the Creek Fire.
What's being shared on social media
Wildfires across California
The Creek fire is one of three major wildfires in the state to break out on Friday and Saturday ‒ and since a lightning siege that started Aug. 16, there have been close to 14,000 lightning strikes and more than 900 new wildfires, burning more than 1.6 million acres.
There have been eight fatalities and nearly 3,300 structures destroyed.
On Sunday, there were more than 14,800 firefighters battling 23 major fires across California.