Wildfire Near Pollock Pines Grows To 3,900 Acres Overnight
POLLOCK PINES (CBS13/AP) – Firefighters are working to contain a growing fire near Pollock Pines that prompted evacuations and grew 900 acres overnight.
The King Fire is burning off of King of the Mountain Road, about three miles northeast of Pollock Pines. It was first reported Saturday around 4:30 p.m. and has grown to 3,900 acres, a little more than 6 square miles. It was 10 percent contained.
Dry brush and trees is making fighting the fire especially difficult.
"It's been unusually hot and dry, and it's supposed to be that way again today...A lot of these fuels that would normally burn, on a normal year, a little more mildly, this year, they're burning real fast, real hot," said Michael McWilliams, a spokesman for Cal Fire.
According to Cal Fire, mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the Estates at Forebay Road between King of the Mountain Road and Pony Express Trail, as well as all of Whites Meadows Road.
Voluntary evacuations advisories have been issued for 133 homes in the following areas: Forebay Road from Blair Road to Pony Express Trail. Additional Voluntary Evacuation Advisories are in place for Badger Hill Road, Marmot Road, Lucky Mine Road, Old Blair Mill Road, Apple Creek Ct, Applemont Ranch, Chickaree Lane, Longs Creek, Quick Silver Road, Quick Silver Ct, and Baltimore Road.
Pollock Pines Community Center was opened as the evacuation center but reportedly lost power. Red Cross reports that about 120 people have shown up at the evacuation center so far. A new evacuation center has been opened at Sierra Ridge Middle School.
Schools in the Pollock Pines School District will be closed Monday because of the fire.
A second fire, meanwhile, near a foothill community south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park in central California prompted authorities to evacuate about 1,000 residents out of about 400 homes.
Flames damaged or destroyed 21 structures after the fire began on Sunday afternoon. It was 20 percent contained.
<em>(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or Redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)</em>