New Wildfire Ignites in Mariposa County; Evacuations Ordered

Colorado Fire Prompts Evacuations Along Highway 140 in Mariposa County

TL;DR: The Colorado Fire ignited Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 1 along Highway 140 near Colorado Road in Mariposa County, grew to 250 acres with zero percent containment by Tuesday evening, and forced mandatory evacuations for Rancheria Creek Road, Briceburg and the Octagon area.

A fast-moving brush fire that started as a 10-plus-acre roadside ignition Tuesday afternoon expanded to 250 acres by Tuesday evening in the Midpines area of Mariposa County, triggering mandatory evacuation orders, highway closures and power shutoffs near the Merced River canyon, according to NTD.

The blaze, dubbed the Colorado Fire, was first reported at 1:26 p.m. on Sept. 1 along Highway 140 near Colorado Road under the jurisdiction of Cal Fire's Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit, with zero percent containment reported Tuesday evening, according to NTD.

Firefighters deployed additional ground and air resources through the day as flames moved upslope with wind and then toward the Merced River drainage in steep, difficult terrain, according to NTD and CBS Sacramento.

No incident management team had been assigned as of Tuesday evening, and the cause remained under investigation, according to NTD.

How the Fire Grew on Sept. 1

Cal Fire dispatch first logged the fire at just over 10 acres at 1:26 p.m. Tuesday, according to NTD.

Within roughly an hour the fire had grown to 30 acres and was running upslope with wind, prompting officials to request numerous additional ground and air resources, according to NTD.

By mid-afternoon the incident had reached 171 acres, burning at a moderate rate toward the Merced River drainage, according to NTD and CBS Sacramento.

CBS Sacramento, reporting at 3:48 p.m. PDT Tuesday, described the fire as rapidly expanding in difficult terrain, with crews trying to keep flames north of Colorado Road, east of Telegraph Road, west of Buffalo Road and south of the Merced River.

By the 6:22 p.m. evening update cited by NTD, growth had slowed and the perimeter was holding at 250 acres, spreading at a slow to moderate rate and moving with the terrain while backing down toward the river canyon.

Increasing humidity helped slow progression Tuesday evening, although officials warned there was potential for the fire to become established in the canyon, according to NTD.

NBC Bay Area similarly reported 250 acres in the Midpines area at zero percent containment Tuesday night, with fire moving at a moderate rate of spread toward the Merced River drainage Tuesday afternoon.

KCRA, in an update timed 8:17 a.m. PDT Sept. 2, said firefighters reported making good progress overnight in slowing the spread and anticipated that increasing humidity would help slow fire progression.

Where Firefighters Drew Containment Lines

Crews focused Tuesday on building control lines to hold the fire north of Colorado Road, east of Telegraph Road, west of Buffalo Road and south of the Merced River, according to NTD, CBS Sacramento and NBC Bay Area.

Steep terrain made it difficult for crews to reach the perimeter, according to CBS Sacramento.

NBC Bay Area reported that 126 personnel from the Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit were assigned Tuesday, supported by 14 fire engines, four helicopters, three water tenders, two bulldozers and three hand crews.

Numerous air tankers from across California also made suppression runs as weather allowed, according to NBC Bay Area.

Cal Fire said significant additional ground and air resources had been requested to assist, according to CBS Sacramento.

KCRA reported that more than 120 personnel were assigned and that 45 structures remained threatened as evacuation orders stayed in place over concern about flare-ups.

NBC Bay Area reported that 45 structures were threatened Tuesday night, down slightly from earlier estimates, with no injuries or destroyed structures reported at that time.

Cal Fire said in a statement Tuesday night that crews would continue fighting the fire through the night to control the blaze and mitigate further damage, according to NBC Bay Area.

Mandatory Evacuations and Warnings

The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for Rancheria Creek Road, Briceburg — including all campgrounds — and the Octagon area, according to NTD and CBS Sacramento.

NBC Bay Area described the same action as mandatory orders for zones Mariposa 546, 548 and 549, where residents were lawfully ordered to leave immediately.

"Mandatory Evacuation Orders are issued when there is a clear and immediate threat to life or safety. Residents in the affected area should leave immediately. Conditions are hazardous and can change quickly," the sheriff's office said in a social media post, as quoted by NTD.

Cal Fire similarly described orders as covering areas with immediate threat to life, directing residents to leave immediately from areas lawfully closed to public access, according to NTD.

Evacuation warnings applied to Colorado Road from Highway 140 to Rancheria Creek, Buffalo Gulch Road and the area around Savage's Trading Post along Highway 140, according to NTD.

NBC Bay Area listed warnings for zones Mariposa 550 and 551, advising people who need extra time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock to leave.

NTD noted that a separate warning zone covering another section of Mariposa was added Tuesday evening, then lifted later.

Residents seeking incident information could call the Cal Fire incident line or the Mariposa County Call Center at 844-668-3473, according to NTD.

Roads, Shelter and Power Shutoffs

Highway 140 was closed between Briceburg and the Bug Hostel, and Rancheria Creek Road was also shut down, according to NTD and CBS Sacramento.

NBC Bay Area specified the closure as state Route 140 from Briceburg to the Bug Hostel.

Evacuees and small animals could go to New Life Christian Church, also referred to as New Life Calvary Chapel, at 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa, according to NTD and CBS Sacramento.

Large animals were accepted at multiple locations throughout the county, with residents directed to call 209-966-3615 for details, according to NTD and KCRA.

Pacific Gas and Electric shut off power in the fire area, affecting about 20 customers in the evening update cited by NTD.

CBS Sacramento, reporting earlier Tuesday afternoon, said the shutoff affected about 136 customers.

Yosemite National Park remained open Tuesday night and was not currently threatened, according to NBC Bay Area.

Possible Ignition Reported Near Crash Site

The official cause remained under investigation Tuesday evening, according to NTD, CBS Sacramento and NBC Bay Area.

KCRA, citing California Highway Patrol logs, reported that footage from LiveCopter 3 showed a crash between a bus and cement truck on Highway 140 and that the crash reportedly sparked the fire.

NTD did not attribute a cause and stated that no incident management team had been assigned as of Tuesday evening.

For readiness planning, the distinction matters: residents near Highway 140 were asked to treat evacuation orders and warnings as changing with fire behavior rather than waiting for a final cause determination, based on the sheriff's warning that conditions are hazardous and can change quickly, as quoted by NTD.

Part of a Busy State Fire Day

The Colorado Fire was one of several wildfires burning across California on Sept. 1, and ranked among the newer and smaller incidents that day, according to NTD citing California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection data.

The Plaskett Fire in Monterey County had burned 28,968 acres since igniting Aug. 26, according to NTD.

The Timber Fire, also in Monterey County, had charred 25,223 acres since Aug. 8, according to NTD.

Other active incidents Tuesday included the Hilary Fire in Los Angeles County at 74 acres and the Citrus Fire in Riverside County at 20 acres, both also reported with zero percent containment, according to NTD.

That statewide load helps explain why Cal Fire requested significant additional ground and air resources for Mariposa County while air tankers from across the state rotated through suppression runs as conditions allowed, according to CBS Sacramento and NBC Bay Area.

What to Watch Next

Overnight priorities cited Tuesday were holding the box north of Colorado Road, east of Telegraph Road, west of Buffalo Road and south of the Merced River, slowing backing fire near the river canyon, and protecting 45 threatened structures, according to NTD and NBC Bay Area.

Residents in warning areas who need extra time, have pets or keep livestock were advised to leave early rather than wait for an upgrade to orders, according to the warning language reported by NBC Bay Area.

Anyone approaching Mariposa County on Sept. 2 was urged to expect continued closure of Highway 140 between Briceburg and the Bug Hostel and closure of Rancheria Creek Road, and to use the shelter at 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa and the large-animal line at 209-966-3615 for assistance, according to NTD, CBS Sacramento and KCRA.