Oak Fire now California’s biggest wildfire of 2022, 10 percent contained

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KRON) — Extreme fire activity from the Oak Fire burning near Yosemite National Park calmed slightly overnight and helped firefighters increase containment to 10 percent, Cal Fire reported Monday morning. The Oak Fire has burned 16,791 acres, making it California’s largest wildfire of 2022 so far.

Flames destroyed 10 structures and continue to threaten 3,271 structures in small communities sprinkled a dozen miles from Yosemite National Park. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County after the fire forced more than 3,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Cal Fire released an update on the Oak Fire Monday morning: Fire activity was not as extreme as it has been in previous days. Firefighters made good headway today. On the north side, the fire passed Sweetwater Ridge and made a hard push towards the community of Mariposa Pines.

Three strike teams were able to hold the fire at Bear Clover Lane, protecting Mariposa Pines. Crews worked to hold the line at Footman Ridge, on the northeast side of the fire. Line was completed around the community of Lushmeadows.

Fire line is holding on the east side. Crews are working to complete and hold line on the south side. The fire continues to be fuel and terrain driven.

The fire perimeter is moving into the Furgeson Fire burn scar in the northeast side. Cal Fire Firefighters work to keep the Oak Fire from reaching a home in the Jerseydale community on July 23, 2022. (AP Photo / Noah Berger) The Oak Fire ignited around 2 p.

m. on Friday in the Sierra Nevada foothills and exploded in size over the weekend. “The fire behavior that we’re seeing on this incident is really unprecedented,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jon Heggie told CNN.

The Oak Fire sparked just days after firefighters finished wrangling the 4,900 acre-Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park. Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon said the Washburn Fire was “human-caused. ” Containment on the Washburn Fire increased to 87 percent Monday morning, the U.

S. Forest Service said. The Oak Fire’s cause is currently unknown and remains under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert to the public about a local “militia” group operating in an unofficial capacity. “The Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of a local militia around the Mariposa town area. We received multiple notifications inquiring why we had ‘activated that militia.

‘ We have not activated them, they are acting on their own courteous accord,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook. “We are not unsupportive of community groups helping those affected by the Oak Fire, however . .

. . the control and command structure was put in place for this very purpose and is important for the safety of the public,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.

Firefighter Joanna Jimenez holds a dog she found wandering in a fire evacuation zone on July 23, 2022. (AP Photo / Noah Berger) More than 2,500 fire personnel are battling the Oak Fire with 281 engines, 17 helicopters, 46 water tankers, 66 dozers, and 63 hand crews. Smoke from the Oak Fire’s plume is impacting air quality around Northern California.

The San Francisco Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory Monday for anticipated smoky and hazy skies. Fire restrictions are in place for Sierra National Forest. The Red Cross opened an evacuation center at Mariposa Elementary School, 5044 Jones St.

in Mariposa. A helicopter drops water on the Oak Fire on Sunday, July 24, 2022. (AP Photo / Noah Berger) Evacuation Orders / Map: Carstens Road, Buckingham Mountain Road, Plumbar Creek Road, Triangle Road from Hwy 140 to Darrah, Jerseydale and all side roads, Lushmeadows Subdivision, Triangle Road from Darrah Road to Westfall Road and all side roads, Boyer Road from Highway 49S and all side roads, Darrah Road from Highway 49S to Triangle Road including all side roads, Triangle Road from 49S to Westfall Road and all side roads including Triangle Park, Tip Top Road, Wass Road, Westfall from Triangle to Oliver Creek, Silva Road from Cole to Triangle including all side roads, Ginger Trish Road, Cole Road to Darrah Road including all side roads, McNally Road, Highway 49S from Darrah Road to Triangle Road (east side only), Woodland Drive, Brooks Road, Carlton from Triangle to Morningstar Lane, Morningstar from Carlton to Allred Rd including all side roads, Indian Rock Lane, Allred from 140 to Morningstar, Westside of Highway 140 from Triangle Road to Allred Road.

Carlton Road from Morningstar to Silva Road including all side roads, Silva Road from Carlton to Hwy 49S including all side roads, Shaffer Road from Silva Road to Allred Road, Hwy 49S from Silva to Darrah Road (on the Bootjack Market Side) Hwy 140 from Triangle Road to Ponderosa Way (on the Midpines Market side of Hwy 140), Ponderosa Way from Hwy 140 to Feliciana Mountain Rd and all side roads, Sweetwater Ridge / Mine area, Feliciana Mountain Road, Ferguson / Apperson Mine Road area, Savage Lundy Trail, Hites Cove Road, Footman Ridge area, Devils Gulch area. Sign up for emergency alert notifications from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. Flames engulf a chair inside a burning home on Saturday, July 23, 2022.

(AP Photo/Noah Berger) A smoke plume from the Oak Fire is seen on July 22, 2022. (Photo courtesy Daniel R. Patterson, USFS).