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  • ABC30 Central Valley

    Firefighters in Mariposa County deal with two wildfires on Saturday

    15 days ago

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    Saturday was a busy day for fire crews in Mariposa County.

    Aerial video from the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office shows just how much the French Fire burned, since it ignited on the Fourth of July.

    Video shows the charred areas left behind and how close the flames got to people's homes.

    "We're making some big strides out there," said Chief Justin Macomb, the Incident Commander for the French Fire.

    The French Fire destroyed at least 4 buildings so far. Crews continue to build containment lines around the Oak Fire burn scars. CAL FIRE said the potential for flames to cross the Stockton Creek Reservoir is still a big concern for them.

    "It's very steep and rocky. We have a lot of hotspots along the lines," said Macomb. "They're there spread out along that line to hold that and to make sure it doesn't get into the bottom of Stockton Creek."

    Several evacuation orders were reduced to warnings, for some neighborhoods affected by the French Fire.

    Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese is urging people returning home to be careful, especially since there may be lingering hazards.

    "If you don't really need to be in the burn area," said Sheriff Briese. "If we can try to keep that clear as much as possible so the firefighters and PG&E who are restoring everything that got damaged can work safely."

    While crews continue to mop up, deputies will still be patrolling the area.

    Then around 4:30 on Saturday afternoon, firefighters were dealing with another blaze about 30 miles away from the French Fire.

    The Granite Fire burned on Highway 132 near Narcisco Way & Piney Creek, which prompted several evacuation orders.

    "Fires can have explosive rate of spread.," said Battalion Chief Frank Johnson with CAL FIRE and Madera County Fire. "We have to forecast not just for the fire that we have at the time. We're looking out hours in advance."

    Firefighters were able to contain the flames to 50 acres.

    "We called in resources from many outside counties and agencies which contributed to our successful outcome," said Chief Johnson.

    It's been a very busy season already for firefighters in Central California. But Saturday's triple digit temperatures did not make it easy for crews on the frontlines.

    "Its extreme fire weather right now," said Chief Macomb. "I'm afraid that this is still early July and we're in for a long fire season."

    CAL FIRE said that no structures were damaged and no one was injured battling the Granite fire.

    At this point, a cause for both the Granite Fire and the French Fire are still under investigation.

    For news updates, follow Ana Torrea on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

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