Slinkard Fire Update: U.S. Highway 395 reportedly open, fire at 9,000 acres
Submitted by Brett Fisher on Sat, 09/02/2017 - 11:01am
UPDATE 11:30AM: Acccording to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group web site provided by the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center, the Slinkard Fire has officially burned more than 7,880 acres and is currently about 20 percent contained at this hour.
More than 600 firefighting personnel are on scene, including 15 crews, four helicopters, 56 engines, two bulldozers, and 11 water tenders.
U.S. Highway 395 is reported to be open in both directions. However, both the Nevada and California highway patrols remain on scene to monitor the situation.
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The Slinkard Fire near Topaz Lake has grown to about 9,000 acres in size, but firefighters have achieved at least 10 percent containment on the blaze as of about 9 a.m. Saturday morning, according updated reports from all three major television news stations in Reno.
Facebook pages for Caltrans and the Mono County Sheriff's Office both report Saturday morning that U.S. Highway 395 is now open in both directions between the Nevada state line and Bridgeport, CA, no longer threatened by the Slinkard Fire.
However, reports from KRNV Channel 4, KOLO Channel 8 and KTVN Channel 2 also caution motorists that the highway could close again depending on the fire's behavior.
The fire’s activity continued to be active and erratic, Douglas County reported on its Facebook page.
Most activity has been on the western and northern perimeters of the fire area, with activity backing down slopes towards U.S. Highway 395 and moving rapidly in the grasses.
The California Inspection Station in Topaz was saved. The community of Holbrook Junction is our protection priority, along with improving dozer lines and defending Leviathan lookout.
Priorities of the Slinkard Fire are always firefighter/public safety, all structures protected and natural resources maintained.
Evacuations have been lifted on the Nevada side.
Closures: For public safety, State Route 89 remains closed between U.S. Highway 395 and State Route 4 at Monitor Pass.
U.S. Highway 395 is closed from the junction of State Route 182 in Bridgeport to the Nevada state line.
However, Highway 395 will be open for local traffic with highway patrol escort when safe.
A detour is in place for Highway 395 and access to Bridgeport remains open.
State Route 108 (Sonora Pass) is open, but drivers must go south on Highway 395, and then connect to the detour in Bridgeport if traveling north.
Resources: Numerous resources are ordered, including hand crews, which are a critical need, as well as air resources. An Incident Management Type 2 Team is also responding.
Location: The fire is located in Slinkard Valley and the west slope of Antelope Valley, west of Topaz in Mono County, CA. The fire is also eight miles north of Walker, CA at Topaz Lake, west of Highway 395 and across from SR 89.
Cooperators: Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Antelope Valley Fire Protection District, East Fork Valley Fire Protection District, CA-EOS, CAL FIRE, Mono County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada Division of Forestry, Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, Cal Trans and Nevada DOT.
Disposition: The Slinkard Fire has grown to 7,200 acres with zero percent containment. The fire is burning in cheat grass, sagebrush and pinyon/juniper. No structures have been lost.
Resources: Four hand crews, 51 fire engines, 8 aircraft and two bulldozers.
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