Creek Fire live updates: 200,000 acres burned; vehicle retrieval begins; Mims to meet Trump

Sep. 13--The Creek Fire continued to burn through the Sierra National Forest and foothill communities surpassing 200,000 acres in size with 8% containment Sunday morning.

Full containment is not expected until mid-October, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

According to a report from Cal Fire, stronger winds over the fire will allow for better mixing and less smoke, and winds over the highest peaks in the area could hit 35 mph.

The change in conditions is expected to lead to more active fire behavior, putting the focus on structure defense, tactical patrol around structures in burned areas and perimeter control. Containment lines are being constructed and strengthened in several areas including China Peak, Cherry Valley, Blue Canyon, Auberry, Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake.

The winds will clear the layer of smoke over portions of the fire, allowing for the use of helicopters and air tankers.

In Madera County, the Creek Fire was most active on Saturday in the northwest, moving toward the Minaret Mountains.

Conditions in the North Zone of the wildfire are expected to be more active on Sunday -- as the smoke layer lifts, it is expected to be more active and spread faster. According to fire officials, the fire is expected to move toward South Fork Bluffs, Central Camp, Lake Creek, Mugler Falls, Jackass Meadow and McCreary Trailhead; also, in the Browns Creek, Central Camp, Camino Falls, Graveyard Meadows and Piyau Dome areas.

The wildfire started Sept. 4 near Big Creek and Huntington Lake, quickly spread and now ranks among the Top 20 largest fires in California history. The August Complex Fire, which started Aug. 16 in the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California, has burned 875,059 acres and is the largest.

11:30 a.m. Mammoth Pool vehicle retrieval

The Madera County Sheriff's Office is making preparations to take people to vehicles abandoned at Mammoth Pool or on Mammoth Pool Road during the mandatory evacuation due to the Creek Fire.

Vehicle owners are asked to email the following details to [email protected].

-- Full name

-- Phone number

-- Vehicle description

-- License plate number

-- Name(s) on vehicle registration

-- Location of vehicle

-- Current address

Once information is emailed, the Sheriff's Office will communicate directly with vehicle owners.

11:20 a.m.: Evacuation warning lifted in part of Madera County

Evacuation Warning Areas have been lifted in parts of Madera County, according to the Sheriff's Office.

These zones include the Highway 41 corridor between Road 200 and Bass Lake Road (Road 222), which are now listed in green on the county's map of impacted areas. All other mandatory evacuation orders and evacuations warnings in Madera County remain in effect.

Once the Madera County Sheriff's Office and fire management teams have determined an evacuation area is safe, residents will be notified they can return through the MCALERT system, Facebook and the Madera County website.

Those alerts will contain instructions on when and how residents can return home, as well as safety messages and special instructions for returning to an area that may have burned.

Fresno and Madera county residents can sign up for alerts here:

Fresno County: Fresno County Sheriff's Office, sign up at t.co/Otack9NyKc?amp=1

Madera County: Madera County Emergency Warning Systems, at mcalert.org

11 a.m.: The view up Highway 168

From Highway 168, the town of Shaver Lake appears unchanged from earlier this week, with businesses in the village standing late Sunday morning.

Heavy smoke persists throughout the area. Small flames were burning on both sides of the road above Shaver just past a sign for Tamarack Lodge around 7,000 feet in elevation. Further up, large flames and a big black plume of smoke was visible on a ridge across from China Peak Mountain Resort around 11 a.m. Most buildings at the ski resort still appear untouched, including a number of mobile homes in the back of the property, although some were destroyed. A sheriff's official at Big Creek Bridge, close to the large flare-up, described the scene up the road at Huntington Lake as "apocalyptic," including "fire tornadoes" that tore through the area.

A deer and spotted fawn were seen darting across 168.

10:15 a.m.: Updated damage assessments

Damage assessments from the Creek Fire are about 30% complete according to fire officials, who are listing 365 residential, commercial or other structures destroyed and 32 damaged.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office is contacting property owners directly, and Fresno County has set up a website for properties that have been assessed.

More than 14,000 structures are currently threatened by the wildfire.

9:30 a.m.: Mims to take part in roundtable with Trump

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims will take part in a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump on Monday in Sacramento that will address wildfires that have burned more than 3 million acres across the state, damaged or destroyed nearly 4,800 structures and claimed 20 lives.

Sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti said Mims will discuss everything related to Fresno County and the Creek Fire, which is expected to burn in the Sierra National Forest until mid-October.

The meeting, which will include state and federal fire officials, will be held at McClellan Park, a former Air Force based turned business park that is used by Cal Fire to organize wildfire response efforts.

7:45 a.m.: High country vehicle retrieval

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office has started to make arrangements to provide transportation for vehicle owners to retrieve their vehicles, once it is safe, in high country areas including China Peak, Mono Hot Springs, Edison Lake and Florence Lake.

The majority of those vehicle owners had to be evacuated by air.

The Sheriff's Office is asking for the following information:

-- First and last name

-- Phone number

-- License plate number

-- Vehicle description

-- Name(s) on vehicle registration

-- Location of vehicle

The information should be sent by email to [email protected].

Members of the public who have already contacted the Sheriff's Office and provided that information do not need to do so again.

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