Progress made on wildfire near Lee Vining; CHP allowing one-way Highway 395 escorts
Submitted by editor on Sun, 06/26/2016 - 7:48am
Progress has made on the Marina Fire burning north of Lee Vining and west of Mono Lake with California Highway Patrol allowing for one-way traffic escorts along Highway 395 as conditions allow, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
As of Saturday evening, the fire burned 819 acres and was 30 percent contained. At the time of this report, crews strengthened the south, east, and north flanks of the fire, again focused on protecting the nearby communities and along Highway 395.
Additionally, support from both helicopters, airplanes, and tankers, including the very large air tanker, helped minimize hotspots and slow fire growth, which assisted firefighters on the ground.
Crews also worked on contingency lines and scouted options to tie in the western flank.
Mono County Sheriff's Office and Caltrans District 9 have worked tirelessly with CHP to implement the motorist escort through the fire area, which continued as of Sunday morning. Though CHP is allowing for limited one-way traffic via escort, Highway 395 remained closed Sunday morning at the town of Lee Vining on the south at the turnoff for Hawthorne on the north.
The Tioga Lodge and two additional residences have been evacuated. Lee Vining and Mono City are under an evacuation advisory.
There are approximately 350 personnel on the fire. Eight hand crews, 23 engines, six helicopters, two fixed wing aircraft, two dozers, and three water tenders are assigned to the fire.
The fire is under Unified Command with the US Forest Service and Mono County Sheriff’s Office. The fire has been determined to be human-caused and remains under investigation.
