Update: Lighting Strikes Causing Fires In Stanislaus National Forest
Update at 5:48 p.m.: There is little information regarding the estimated four-acre McCormick Fire this afternoon, as CAL Fire spokesperson Emily Kilgore explains, “The area is very difficult to access and the road system is narrow. Crews had to hike to the fire.” The flames broke out near Forest Roads 4N03 and 5N07 in the Middle Fork Stanislaus Drainage. The fire is south of Avery, but in Tuolumne County. Kilgore notes that there is minimal fire activity as aircraft have kept the flames within the retardant lines. Crews will continue to work to contain the fire into the evening.
Update at 5:35 p.m.: An update from Stanislaus National Forest fire officials, as two of the four lightning strike fires could not be located by crews today. Those blazes were the Fisher Fire, located near Fisher Creek, and the Dry Fire near the Dry Meadow Forest Service Station. They shared that the Kitchen Fire is holding at a 30 x 30 foot spot with hose lay completed via Highway 4. Crews will mop up for the next hour.
Update at 1:50 p.m.: Stanislaus National Forest fire officials report that crews are making progress on the Trout Fire, a 30 x 30 foot blaze that is smoldering, with no active flames, in the area of Forest Road 4N72Y east of Cold Springs. Crews have a line around the fire and are moving into the mop-up stage. Further details on all five fires we are monitoring can be found below.
Update at 1:20 p.m.: CAL Fire spokesperson Emily Kilgore reports, “The McCormack fire is holding within retardant lines at 4 to 5 acres. She added that there is minimal fire activity.
Update written by BJ Hansen at 11:32 am: CAL Fire reports that the McCormack Fire is now estimated to be four acres. Crews are having difficulty accessing it, and additional resources are responding. As noted earlier, it is near Forest Roads 4N03 and 5N07 in the Middle Fork Stanislaus Drainage. It is south of Avery but in Tuolumne County.
Original story posted at 11:15 am: Sonora, CA — The Stanislaus National Forest reports that 289 lightning strikes have been confirmed in the forest over the past 24 hours, and 72 of those positively hit the ground.
Forest Service spokesperson Benjamin Cossel relays that there are reports of at least four fires to this point, in the forest. They include a 30 x 30 foot Trout Fire that is smoldering, with no active flames, in the area of Forest Road 4N72Y east of Cold Springs. The Kitchen Fire is also 30 x 30 feet and burning in timber and brush in the Calaveras Ranger District, southeast of Spicer Reservoir. It is moving at a slow rate of spread.
Two other reports of smoke are still being investigated: the Fisher Fire is located near Fisher Creek and the Dry Fire near the Dry Meadow Forest Service Station.
In addition, CAL Fire is responding to an incident, a fifth fire, within its jurisdiction near Forest Service land, named the McCormack Fire. It could also be lightning-related. The three-acre incident is near Forest Roads 4N03 and 5N07 in the Middle Fork Stanislaus Drainage. It is south of Avery but in Tuolumne County. Air resources are fighting it.
There are no reports of any structures threatened at this time related to any of the fires.
Given all of the lightning strikes confirmed, Forest Service spokesperson Cossel says it is likely that additional fire starts could still be located.
