Some of the 1,100 residents forced to evacuate were allowed to return home Friday afternoon. Also Friday, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, making it the second infusion of funding California has received this week to fight wildfires.
The French Fire is the latest wildfire to break out in California in a particularly dangerous fire season. This week alone, 23 fires have broken out across the state, forcing some cities to cancel Fourth of July fireworks displays. Most active fires are at least 50 percent contained, and no deaths have been reported.
Firefighters stopped the spread of the French Fire overnight as winds died down. They are now focusing on the east side of the fire after bulldozers and fire crews built a line on the east side of Mariposa. A church has been designated as a temporary evacuation point. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire had closed a 1.6-mile section of State Route 140, one of the main roads in and out of Yosemite, but it reopened Friday afternoon as firefighters made progress.
Cal Fire crews have also made progress in containing the Thompson Fire in Butte County in Northern California in recent days, with temperatures expected to reach 114 degrees Friday. The fire has grown to 3,789 acres and was 46% contained as of Friday morning. The city of Oroville, home to about 20,000 people, has not escaped damage: 25 structures have been destroyed by the blaze. Additionally, two firefighters have been injured.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire has increased its workforce by 200 to fight the Thompson Fire. A total of 2,219 personnel are working on the mop-up operation, which involves extinguishing or removing burning materials to reduce the risk of wildfires. Alejandro Cholico, public information officer for the Thompson Fire, said the goal is to “wrap up” the operation by July 15.
“The situation is looking very good. We are continuing our cleaning operations and our staff are working diligently with our operators to continue the containment,” he said.
He added that firefighters use work-rest cycles to ensure well-being and avoid heat-related injuries.
The wildfire started Tuesday morning. That same afternoon, though unrelated to the Thompson fire, police arrested a 61-year-old Oroville resident who started a fire using a propane torch. He was later arrested for illegally starting a wildfire. The cause of the Thompson fire remains under investigation.
