Garnet Fire Forces Evacuations and Strains Local Fire Crews
FRESNO – Now that the Garnet Fire in the Sierra National Forest is finally contained, crews are mopping up the remaining hot spots. A lightning strike started the fire and quickly grew to more than 59,000 acres.
This fire forced many people in the area to make their way down the mountain into the Central Valley for safety.
When evacuations happen, the deputy director of Fresno County Social Services, Josh Hernandez, helps put shelters in place.
“When there is a bigger event that causes mass evacuations, we’ll assist Red Cross and Fresno’s EOC with operating an emergency shelter, usually at one of the college gyms or somewhere that is centrally located, so that everyone can come to those locations,” Hernandez said. “We can give them information and resources on what’s going on, keep them up to date, and usually provide them with water and snacks.”
While Hernandez is helping people who come down the mountain, some fire departments are called to go up the mountain to help put out the fires.
Deputy Chief Jim Damico is used to getting calls to go all around the state of California to help put out fires in any way possible.
“As for the city of Clovis, we have internal policies,” Damico said. “We’ll typically staff up to two fire engines that’ll go to assist with wildfires within Fresno County, or basically we’ll go as far as any state that touches California, so we can go as far as Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona.”
When going to help with these fires, the firefighters make sure to be well prepared, not knowing when they’ll be back in town.
“Since we’re going to be gone for typically two weeks at a time, we do have cots, sleeping bags, shave kits, all the necessities that you would need to pack a suitcase and go out of town for two weeks at a time. So that’s what we have to prep to go out of town,” Damico said.
With some rainy weather and the support of many, only a few weeks after the lightning strike, the Garnet Fire is now 99% contained, according to the Fresno Bee.