French, Mariposa

French, Merced-Mariposa Unit, Cal Fire. One mile northwest of Mariposa, CA. Grass and brush. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Area and trail closures in effect.

July 10, 2024 at 9:28 AM

The fire is currently in patrol status, with ongoing suppression repair efforts.

July 9, 2024 at 7:21 AM

There has been a decrease in equipment and fire personnel assigned to the fire. Resources are being made available to respond to other emergencies within the state today. Firefighters continue to mop up remaining interior heat and patrol.

Suppression repair efforts are ongoing.

Damage Inspections are complete.

Fire equipment remain in the area. Please use caution when driving.

July 8, 2024 at 6:58 PM

Firefighters continue to mop up isolated areas where heat can be found and continue to patrol the fire perimeter. Fire hose is being removed from portions of the fire and trash is being picked up. The weather is hot and very dry with little to no relative humidity recovery. Suppression repair efforts are ongoing. Damage Inspections are complete. Fire equipment remain in the area. Please use caution when driving.

July 8, 2024 at 12:56 PM

Damage Inspection Teams are currently assigned to the French Fire. These teams collect data on non-damaged, damaged, and destroyed structures. As firefighters continue to increase containment on the French fire, CAL FIRE Damage Inspectors will be going door to door asking for permission to enter properties affected by the fire. Inspectors will be in CAL FIRE marked vehicles and in uniform or nomex tops.

July 8, 2024 at 8:28 AM

Suppression Repair Begins on the French Fire. After the flames die and the firefighters return to their normal duties, a mountain of work remains behind. Miles of dozer lines, hand lines, safety zones, staging areas and drop points have been built to support the fire suppression efforts, and now these areas need to be put back into a pre-fire condition. The objective of the fire suppression repair is to place areas disturbed by fire suppression activities into a condition that will not negatively affect natural and cultural resources and will not contribute to excessive erosion on the landscape or sediment delivery to the watercourses.

Suppression repair reduces the potential for soil detachment and transport, protects natural and cultural resources from additional potential damage, reduces visual impacts of fire line, as well as other suppression activities. Suppression repair includes installing water diversion features on fire control lines to prevent future erosion.

Natural debris, like branches and brush, help blend these lines into the surroundings and unburned soils are put back into place to provide a seed bed for native plants to reestablish themselves. Rehabilitation of the impacts caused by fire suppression is vital to the long-term health of the area. Without rehabilitation, these containment lines can cause erosion scars, mudslides and provide growing space for non-native species.

Much of the work is completed using the same crews and equipment that build the fire lines. Hand crews sometimes rehabilitate the same hand lines they constructed to battle the flames. Excavators and other heavy equipment add logs, boulders, water diversion bars and topsoil to larger disturbed areas. In time, the land will recover, and the burned area and suppression efforts will blend back into the natural landscape.

July 8, 2024 at 6:19 AM

Overnight, minimal fire activity was observed. Firefighters continue to mop up, patrol and reinforce fireline to prevent any hot embers or smoldering vegetation from extending past the established control line. The weather is hot and very dry with little to no relative humidity recovery. Suppression repair efforts have begun and damage assessment is 75% complete. Fire equipment remain in the area. Please use caution when driving.

July 7, 2024 at 8:00 PM

Heat from smoldering vegetation is present within the fire perimeter. Firefighters continue to strengthen control lines and mop up to reduce the hazard of hot rolling material crossing over the existing fireline. Suppression repair efforts have begun and damage assessment is ongoing.

July 7, 2024 at 6:52 AM

Minimal fire activity and growth was observed last night. Fire crews continue to mop up all hot spots along the fireline and reinforce containment lines. By improving the fireline, it minimizes the risk of smoldering, rolling material from igniting vegetation outside containment lines. Hot, dry weather, with very little relative humidity recoveries, persists in the area.

July 6, 2024 at 7:36 PM

Minimal fire activity and growth was observed throughout the day as the fire remains within containment lines. Crews continue to reinforce containment lines around the fire, mop up and patrol. Damage Assessment is ongoing.

Evacuation Orders

Stockton Creek Reservoir
TrailRoad to MCHS

Evacuation Warnings

Old Hwy North from 140 to 10th street
Hospital Road past John C Fremont hospital
Grosjean Road
Alta Vista Road
Avoca Vale
Stockton Creek Area
Slaughterhouse from Hwy 140 to Allred
Allred Road from Slaughterhouse to Hwy 49 South

July 6, 2024 at 11:00 AM

Overnight, firefighters constructed additional fireline and contingency line in the area near Allred Rd, Stockton Creek and Slaughterhouse Rd. due to the steep terrain and potential for burning fuels to roll across the containment line. Mop-up within the fire perimeter, line improvement and tactical patrol where fireline has been established will continue today. Weather forecasts for the fire area indicate excessive heat will continue to increase and winds will strengthen while relative humidities and fuel moisture decrease. These conditions create fuels that are more receptive to ignition and areas of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter may burn causing smoke to be visible to the public. Damage inspectors have arrived and are conducting inspections.

July 6, 2024 at 7:30 AM

Firefighters continue to gain containment and cool hot spots throughout the fire. Utility crews are working diligently to repair and replace damaged infrastructure. Many areas previously under an evacuation order have been repopulated, for detailed information review the section below.

Damage inspectors have arrived and are conducting inspections.

Minimal fire behavior with backing and creeping
Threat to structures and powerlines
Threat to critical communications sites
Threat to critical infrastructure
Road closures in area
Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place
Weather and terrain hindering suppression efforts
Continued construction and improving control lines

Evacuation Orders

• Grosjean Rd
• Alta Vista Rd
• Avoca Vale
• Old Hwy North from 140 to 10th street
• Slaughterhouse Rd
• Hospital Road past John C. Fremont
• Road to MCHS Baseball Field / Track

Evacuation Warnings

• Stockton Creek Area
• Slaughterhouse from Hwy 140 to Allred
• Allred Road from Slaughterhouse to Hwy 49 South

ROAD CLOSURES

Grosjean
Alta Vista
Avoca Vale
Hospital Road past John C. Fremont
Old Hwy North from Hwy 140 to 10th Street

July 5, 2024 at 10:30 AM

California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the French Fire in Mariposa County. The French Fire ignited yesterday evening and has burned 843 acres, forcing the evacuation of 1,100 people.

July 5, 2024 at 10:26 AM

Dozers and handcrews worked hard to establish a fireline around the entire eastern side of the community of Mariposa. As the fire activity is moderated, firefighters will continue to focus on the eastern side of the fire. Winds have calmed which has helped firefighters make progress overnight.

Red Cross Shelter- New Life Christian Church located at 5089 Cole Rd, Mariposa – Small animals also accepted.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS

Hospital Rd- From Silver Creek to the End (up the mountain)
Grosjean Rd
Alta Vista Rd
Avoca Vale
Old Hwy North from 140 to 10th street
Slaughterhouse Rd
Williams Road
Hospital Road
Smith Rd from Hwy 140 to Hospital Rd
Campbell Road
Pine Street
Dexter View
All of Jones Street
Bullion Street- East Side Only from Hwy 140 to the end of the town area.This includes all side roads that run between Jones and Bullion including 3rd Street – 13th Street
Mariposa Street
Trabucco Street

Deputies are in the areas making door to door notifications.

If you live in the area and do not feel safe, please leave do not wait to be told to evacuate.

EVACUATION WARNING– This is not a Mandatory Evacuation, it is simply a warning of fire in the area and a possible need to evacuate quickly should fire conditions change. Residents should begin to plan and prepare.

Parts of Hwy140
Lakeview Rd
Stockton Creek Area
Slaughterhouse from Hwy 140 to Allred
Allred Road from Slaughterhouse to Hwy 49 South

SHELTER IN PLACE:
JCF Hospital
Yosemite Inn
Quality Inn

If you live in the area and do not feel safe, please leave do not wait to be told to evacuate.
Temporary Evacuation Point- New Life Christian Church located at 5089 Cole Rd, Mariposa
Please stay out of the fire area.

Road Closures

Grosjean
Alta Vista
Avoca Vale
Jones Street
Smith Rd from Hwy 140 to Hospital Rd
Hospital Road
Old Hwy North from Hwy 140 to 10th Street
Campbell Rd
Dexter View
Pine Drive
Williams Rd
Hwy 140 from Hwy 49 North to East Whitlock
Hwy 49 South from Old Hwy to Hwy 140, Northbound Lanes only- Traffic being redirected to Miller Road