Updated September 5, 2020 | 6:42 p.m. PDT
![map Creek Fire California Huntington Lake](https://wildfiretoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Creek-Fire-223-pm-PDT-Sept-5.jpg)
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.
![Creek Fire](https://wildfiretoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Creek-Fire-September-5-2020.jpg)
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](https://wildfiretoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/California-Fires-Satellite-photo-601-PDT-Sept-5-2020.jpg)
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.
![Creek Fire](https://wildfiretoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Creek-Fire-at-511-pm-PDT-Sept-5-2020.jpg)