Colorado Fire Reaches 15% Containment; Most Evacuation Orders Downgraded

Containment reaches 15%; only the Octagon area remains ordered out

MIDPINES, Calif. — Firefighters have increased containment on the Colorado Fire to 15% as most evacuation orders were reduced to warnings Wednesday evening, according to CAL FIRE and local reporting.

CAL FIRE now maps the wildfire at 233 acres, down from the earlier 250-acre estimate because remote-sensing aircraft produced more accurate mapping. The smaller figure does not mean flames reclaimed less ground; it is a revised measurement of the same fire footprint.

The Octagon area remains under a mandatory evacuation order. Briceburg and Rancheria Creek were reduced to warnings and reopened to residents only. Warnings also remain for Colorado Road, Buffalo Gulch Road and Savage's Trading Post along Highway 140.

An evacuation warning signals a potential threat, not an all-clear. People who need extra time and those moving pets or livestock should be prepared to leave, while anyone in the Octagon order zone must remain out until authorities lift the order.

CAL FIRE continues to list 45 structures as threatened. That figure does not mean 45 structures were damaged or destroyed, and the agency has not listed any confirmed civilian deaths or structure losses.

Read the source: CAL FIRE: Current Colorado Fire status, evacuation zones, shelter and resources ↗

Highway 140 is closed through the fire area

Highway 140 remains closed from Briceburg to the Yosemite Bug Hostel, according to CAL FIRE and the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office. Officials have not announced a reopening time.

Yosemite National Park says the Highway 140 closure is in the Midpines area outside the park. The road remains open between El Portal and Yosemite, and the park says its other entrances are open. Yosemite is not currently under an evacuation order and the park has not announced a closure caused by this fire.

The distinction matters for residents and visitors: one major western approach is blocked, but Yosemite National Park itself remains open. Drivers should use current Caltrans, CAL FIRE and National Park Service information before choosing an alternate route because wildfire closures can change without warning.

Read the source: CBS Sacramento: Two firefighters injured; some evacuations downgraded ↗

Two firefighters injured; steep terrain complicates the attack

CAL FIRE now lists two confirmed firefighter injuries. CBS Sacramento reports both firefighters were taken to a hospital and are expected to recover. ABC30 says the agency had not released the nature or severity of their injuries.

The agency lists 651 personnel, 53 engines, 27 crews, 11 bulldozers, eight water tenders and two helicopters assigned to the incident. Those totals represent a major increase from the 126 personnel assigned earlier Wednesday.

ABC30 reports firefighters are working in terrain so steep that crews must move equipment by hand, with limited road access forcing extensive hiking. Firefighters are continuing to build and reinforce containment lines while protecting structures.

Read the source: ABC30: Two firefighter injuries and difficult terrain confirmed ↗

CHP links the ignition to a crash; CAL FIRE still investigates

The California Highway Patrol told ABC30 that an eastbound cement truck entered a curve, crossed into the opposing lane, overturned and collided with a small tour bus traveling west. CHP says the collision then sparked the wildfire.

The cement-truck driver was taken to a hospital. ABC30 reported Wednesday night that the driver's company said he was resting and recovering. The tour-bus driver was the only person aboard that vehicle and was not injured.

CAL FIRE continues to list the fire's official cause as under investigation. CHP's preliminary collision account is important evidence, but it is not the same as a completed fire-cause determination. Investigators have not released a final report assigning legal responsibility.

Read the source: MyMotherLode: Colorado Fire reaches 15% containment and 233 acres ↗

Red Cross shelter closes while one evacuation order stays active

CAL FIRE announced Wednesday morning that the Red Cross shelter at New Life Christian Church, 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa, had closed. Most evacuation orders were later reduced, but the Octagon area remains under an order; the shelter closure does not override that order.

Mariposa County previously said large-animal assistance was available at multiple locations and directed residents to call 209-966-3615 for placement information. People who still need emergency lodging should contact the county call center for current assistance options before traveling to the closed church site.

The Mariposa County Colorado Fire call center is 844-668-3473. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911 and leave without waiting for flames or smoke to become visible.

Residents should use the live Mariposa County evacuation map linked from CAL FIRE rather than saved screenshots. Zone boundaries, warnings and road closures can be revised as crews learn more about the fire's movement.

Read the source: ABC30: CHP account of the Highway 140 cement-truck and tour-bus collision ↗

Confirmed now — and what remains unresolved

Confirmed: the Colorado Fire is mapped at 233 acres and 15% contained; the Octagon area remains under an evacuation order; Briceburg, Rancheria Creek, Colorado Road, Buffalo Gulch Road and Savage's Trading Post are under warnings; 45 structures are threatened; Highway 140 remains closed; and two firefighters were injured.

Also confirmed through CHP and local reporting: the cement-truck driver was hospitalized and is recovering, while the tour-bus driver was not hurt. Not yet confirmed: the firefighters' precise injuries, a completed structure-loss assessment, a reopening time for Highway 140 or CAL FIRE's final cause determination.

Fifteen-percent containment is progress, not control. Most residents can return under warning conditions, but the public should not enter the Octagon order zone or cross the Highway 140 closure.

The park is open and is not currently threatened, according to Yosemite National Park. That status can change, but claims that Yosemite has closed or is being evacuated are unsupported by the latest official information.

The lead image is an authentic 2013 file photograph of Highway 140 in the Merced River canyon, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. It shows the affected travel corridor and does not depict the Colorado Fire, the crash or current firefighting operations.

Read the source: Sierra News Online: Overnight fire, road-closure and evacuation update ↗