A wildfire ignited near Crowley Lake in Mono County on Thursday afternoon, quickly growing to 3,400 acres and damaging homes in a nearby trailer park, authorities said.
The blaze, dubbed the Pack fire, was reported at McGee Creek Road west of Highway 395 shortly before 12:30 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire was burning at a “critical rate of spread,” growing from three acres to 1,000 within an hour and prompting evacuations around Crowley Lake. A map of affected areas can be seen here.
At 2:30 p.m., Cal Fire reported that firefighting aircraft had been grounded due to inclement weather as winds were blowing at 12 to 16 mph out of the south, with gusts up to 24 mph. Later in the evening, Cal Fire reported gusts of up to 50 mph.
An estimated 15 homes at McGee Trailer Park were damaged by the fire, while another 30 structures were threatened, according to Cal Fire.
Highway 395 in Mono County was closed from Tom’s Place to Benton Crossing Road as fire crews worked to get a handle on the blaze, according to the California Department of Transportation. Drivers traveling from Inyo County to northern Mono County or Nevada were advised to use Highway 6 in Bishop as a detour.
Evacuation centers were open at Mammoth Middle School in Mammoth Lakes and at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop.
Fire crews should soon receive assistance with the arrival of rain and possible snow as a winter storm warning is in effect in Mono County from 1 p.m. Thursday to 4 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are predicted along the highest peaks while gusts of up to 50 mph are expected below 8,000 feet.
The Pack fire was burning at around 7,000 feet elevation.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
