Creek Fire grows rapidly near Huntington Lake, California

Updated September 5, 2020 | 6:42 p.m. PDT

map Creek Fire California Huntington Lake — Map showing heat detected on the Creek Fire by satellites as late as 2:23 p.m. PDT September 5, 2020.

The Creek Fire that has only been burning for about 24 hours in central California is showing explosive growth. The massive multi-layered convection column topped by pyrocumulus is extremely impressive.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Creek Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

The fire is on the Sierra National Forest near the community of Big Creek between Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake, 33 air miles northeast of Fresno.

At 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon the U.S. Forest Service reported it had burned 36,000 acres and 3,000 structures were threatened — 22 hours after the fire was first reported.

The fire has reached Mammoth Pool Reservoir, 7 miles north of Huntington Lake. People were trapped there with the road blocked by the fire. Click on the photo on the right below.

#CreekFire: Viewer Cameron Colombero sent in these photos from Mammoth Pool. There are reports of people trapped there. Cameron says he about 100 people are at the water edge. They are safe & the fire ran out of fuel. He says the fires burned around the entire lake in 45 mins. pic.twitter.com/LCE77t8G2z

— Michael Ikahihifo (@Mike_Ikahihifo) September 6, 2020

The smoke has been spreading rapidly north-northwest toward Lake Tahoe.

In the satellite photo taken at 5:21 p.m. PDT the smoke has reached a high enough altitude to clearly show a shadow on the east side.

Satellite photo showing smoke from fires in California at 6:01 p.m. PDT Sept 5, 2020. NASA/Wildfire Today.

Firefighters at the scene are challenged by steep rugged terrain, heavy fuel loading, and high temperatures. Additional resources have been ordered including a Type 1 Incident Management Team. Evacuations and closures are in effect.

Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire. View all posts by Bill Gabbert

3 thoughts on “Creek Fire grows rapidly near Huntington Lake, California”

**What would have been more valuable would have been notification of the location and speed of the fire, then all could have gotten out via Beasore Rd earlier, as some did although it probably wouldn’t have stopped burning up the store and everything around the area. There were no warnings from USFS or these Weather people!!!
Just to clarify any misinformation…the people that were picked up at Mammoth Pool by the California National Guard @ 8pm, had travelled to the lake TO BE SAVED from the fire that was burning all around. They were not boating or swimming and thereby trapped by the fire. Most came from Wagners Campground except for about 6 -10 persons that came from USFS campgrounds or other places and joined in the migration to the lake. Wagners Campground evacuees were directed to go to the lake (or out Beasore Rd to Bass Lake) and were in control of their situation, knowing the area was bare and safe from the raging fire, others outside Wagners Campground, joining in, were completely out of sorts and didn’t know what was going on when they arrived. All people arrived at the lake between 1:30pm – 3:15pm. At 3:15pm the road was impassable due to the fire and trees falling. There were 3-4 persons burned due to injuries received from vehicle accidents on the road but there was plenty of food and adequate shelter for those needing it. Thank you to the brave men that travelled from the lake and back on the burning road in their trucks to pick up people that were walking and were unknowingly, surrounded by the fires. They were the true heroes here!!!