Detwiler Fire
| Detwiler Fire | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake McClure, Mariposa County, California |
| Coordinates | 37°37′03″N 120°12′48″W / 37.61757°N 120.21321°WCoordinates: 37°37′03″N 120°12′48″W / 37.61757°N 120.21321°W |
| Statistics[1] | |
| Date(s) | July 16, 2017 - August 10, 2017 |
| Burned area | 81,826 acres (331 km2) |
| Cause | Firearm Discharge (Under further investigation) |
| Buildings destroyed | 131 structures lost (63 homes), 21 damaged |
| Map | |
  Location in California | |
The Detwiler Fire is a wildfire burning across Highway 49, east and south of Lake McClure, in Mariposa County, California. Ignited shortly before 4 p.m. on Sunday July 16 2017, the fire consumed up to 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) within its first day of burning. [2] By Thursday morning, July 20, the fire was over 70,000 acres (28,000 ha) in size with only 7 percent containment.[1]
Events
First reported at 3:56 p.m., the Detwiler fire was reported burning near Detwiler Road and Hunters Valley Road, 2 miles east of Lake McClure.[1] Within three hours, it had grown to over 1,000 acres as it spread primarily to the northeast. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for all homes along Detwiler Road, Hunters Valley Road, and Hunters Valley Access Road.[3] A Red Cross Evacuation Shelter was set up at McCay Hall, in Catheys Valley.[3] By nightfall, the fire was 2,500 acres in size with zero percent containment.
On the morning of Monday, July 17, the fire was a reported 7,100 acres (2,900 ha) with still zero percent containment as intense heat, windy conditions, and limited resources hampered suppression efforts.[4] Severe fire actively further lead to the evacuation of the Bear Valley area, south of the fire. Highway 49 was also closed due to the fire.[4]
A state of emergency was declared on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 as the fire exploded to over 25,000 acres within the day. The entire community of Mariposa was put under a mandatory evacuation order as over 5,000 structures were threatened.[5] Yosemite National Park remained open, however some access roads were closed and the fire caused smoky conditions throughout the park.[6]
By the morning of Friday, July 21st, the fire has been reported at 74,083 acres at 15% containment. 118 structures are reported as destroyed, with 58 of those being homes.[1] As of 11:00am on July 21st, the evacuation of Mariposa was lifted. [7]
Over the weekend of July 22nd and 23rd, evacuation orders continue to be lifted for the surrounding areas. As of July 24th at 7:30 am, the fire had burned 76,500 acres and was at 50% containment.[1]
By the morning of Wednesday, July 26th, the fire was at 80,250 acres and 65% containment.[8]
As of the evening of Friday, August 4th, the CAL FIRE reports the fire was at 97% containment.[1] The cause of the fire was determined to be firearm-related, though specific details have not been released.[9]
On August 10 the fire finally ended. Many lost their home, but are in the process of recovering from this tragic disaster. [10]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Detwiler Fire". CAL FIRE. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ↑ James, Cory. "Wildfire near Lake McClure forces evacuations in Mariposa County". ABC30 News. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- 1 2 Clugston, Gina. "Wildfire Near Lake McClure Forces Evacuations". Sierra News Online. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- 1 2 Clugston, Gina. "Evacuations Expand As Detwiler Fire Grows, Resources Stretched Thin". Sierra News Online. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ↑ Smith, Scott; Sonner, Scott. "California wildfire near Yosemite threatens 5,000 homes; town evacuated". Mecury News. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ↑ Bacon, John. "Thousands flee flames roaring near Yosemite National Park". USA Today. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ↑ "Detwiler Fire evacuation orders lifted for the town of Mariposa". ABC30 News. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ↑ Hansen, B.J. (July 26, 2017). "Update: Detwiler Fire Acreage Slightly Increases, More Evacuation Orders Lifted". MyMotherLode.com. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ↑ "Investigators have determined the cause of the Detwiler fire". ALLmercednews. August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ↑ http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article166579017.html
