French Fire in Mariposa County burns close to 900 acres; some evacuations lifted
A wildfire burning in Mariposa County forced evacuations after breaking out Thursday evening, although some residents were being allowed to return Friday, authorities said.
The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office first posted on social media about the fire dubbed the French Fire at around 6:30 p.m. It started in the area of French Camp Road and Highway 49.
As of 1:14 p.m. Friday, Cal Fire's incident report on the French Fire said the wildfire had burned 843 acres and was 15% contained. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
As of 12:30 p.m., evacuation orders were in place for the following areas:
- Hospital Road from Silver Creek to the end (up the mountain)
- Grosjean Road
- Alta Vista Road
- Avoca Vale
- Old Highway north from 140 to 10th Street
- Slaughterhouse Road
- Hospital Road
- Bullion Street - east side from Highway 140 to the end of the town area, including all side roads that run between Jones Street and Bullion including 3rd Street to 13th Street
- Mariposa Street
- Trabucco Street
French Fire evacuation map
Road closures include:
- Grosjean Road
- Alta Vista Road
- Avoca Vale Road
- Hospital Road
- Old Highway north from Highway140 to 10th Street
- Williams Road
- Highway140 from Highway 49 North to East Whitlock
- Highway 49 south from Old Highway to Highway 140, northbound lanes only
Residents were advised to stay out of the fire area. Authorities have set up a temporary evacuation point at the New Life Christian Church at 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa.
Cal Fire said evacuations for the following areas have been reduced to fully reopened:
- Jones Road including all side roads - excluding the roadway to the MCHS baseball fields/track
- Campbell Way
- Dexter View
- Pine Street
- Smith Road from Highway1 40 to Hospital Road
- Hospital Road from Smith Road to just past John C. Fremont, Including St. Andrews Road
- Williams Road
A shelter-in-place order was lifted for
- John C. Fremont Hospital
- Yosemite Inn
- Quality Inn
Cal Fire said Highway 140 would be reopened with traffic controls from Old Highway north to Grojean Road to all traffic through to Yosemite National Park.
