1,000 people trapped by Creek Fire near California’s Mammoth reservoir; 10 injured

Approximately 1,000 people, unable to evacuate from a fast-growing wildfire in California, were told to shelter in place, even if that means jumping into the water, a spokesperson said Saturday.

The Creek Fire burned near Shaver Lave, closing the popular tourist attraction for the Labor Day holiday weekend, KFNS reported.

The people were trapped near Mammoth Pool Reservoir, as the only road into the campground had been compromised by the fire, Dan Tune, a spokesperson for the Sierra National Forest told The Fresno Bee.

Update 11:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 5: Several law enforcement agencies were teaming up to coordinate a rescue effort involving approximately 150 people who were sheltering-in-place at the Mammoth Pool Boat Launch, The Fresno Bee reported. At least 10 people were injured, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.

Agencies were coordinating an aircraft rescue for crews to come and safely evacuate them, the newspaper reported.

Original report: The Creek Fire is threatening a range of mountain resources, Tune told the newspaper, including structures, communities and power lines.

The fast-moving fire has burned more than 36,000 acres, the Los Angeles Times reported. No one will be allowed to travel up the four-lane road to Shaver Lake except for law enforcement and fire personnel, KFNS reported.

“Mainly our focus is the safety of all the folks all over the forest,” Tune told the Bee. “Just making sure folks are safe and get them evacuated.”

The blaze is still 0% contained, the Times reported.

It is not the first time that officials have advised trapped residents to take to the water for shelter during California’s wildfire season. It happened during the Camp Fire at Concow Reservoir in 2018, the Bee reported.

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