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| Heavy equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died while battling the Ferguson Fire after his bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite. |
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| Heavy equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died while battling the Ferguson Fire after his bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite. |
A wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park has killed a man who was helping to fight it. Cal Fire says Braden Varney, 36, of Mariposa, California, died while battling the Ferguson Fire Saturday. Varney was a heavy equipment operator whose bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite. So far the fire has burned over four-thousand acres and is only two-percent contained. It’s threatening over a hundred buildings in the area. It’s also shut down State Route 140, which is a key route into the National Park. Governor Brown has ordered the flags at the capitol flown at half-mast today.
From the scene of the fire, firefighters have been successful in continuing to protect structures along the Main Fork of the Merced River.
Mandatory evacuations remain in effect in Clearing House; Mariposa Pines; Cedar Lodge/Savage’s Trading Post and Sweetwater Ridge
A Pre-evacuation Advisory has been issued for Yosemite West and along the Jerseydale Road to Scott Road and Scott Road to Bear Clover are under Fire Advisement. Residents should be prepared to evacuate should conditions change.
Hwy 140 is closed from 1.9 miles east of Midpines to the Cedar Lodge area MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.
Ferguson Fire
| Ferguson Fire Incident Information: | ||
| Last Updated: | July 16, 2018 6:07 am |
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| Date/Time Started: | July 13, 2018 10:35 pm | |
| Administrative Unit: | USFS Sierra National Forest | |
| County: | Mariposa County | |
| Location: | Highway 140 and Hite Cove, near El Portal | |
| Acres Burned - Containment: | *** This is not a CAL FIRE incident. Click the link for more information. | |
| Long/Lat: | -119.88581/37.6549 | |
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MARIPOSA (AP) — A wildfire that killed a California firefighter grew quickly and forced the closure of a key route into Yosemite National Park as crews contended with sweltering conditions Sunday, authorities said.
The blaze that broke out Friday scorched more than 6 square miles of dry brush along steep, remote hillsides on the park’s western edge. It was burning largely out of control, and officials shut off electricity to many areas, including Yosemite Valley, as a safety precaution.
Guests were ordered to leave Yosemite Cedar Lodge Saturday afternoon as flames crept up slopes and the air became thick with smoke.
“You can’t see anything, it’s so smoky outside. It’s crazy,” said front desk clerk Spencer Arebalo, one of a handful of employees who stayed behind at the popular hotel inside the park.
He said it was surreal to see the property empty at the height of tourist season.
“We’re counting on being closed at least one more day,” Arebalo said.
The Ferguson Fire grew substantially on Saturday after a Cal Fire heavy equipment operator lost his life. (CBS)
Evacuations were also ordered in rural communities just outside the park, and people in nearby lodges and motels were told to be ready to leave if flames approach. A stretch of State Route 140 into Yosemite was closed, and motorists were urged to find alternate routes.
Spiking temperatures and inaccessible terrain was making it difficult for crews to slow the flames, U.S. Forest Service fire Capt. Mike Seymour said.
Braden Varney (Facebook via Cal Fire)
Heavy fire equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died early Saturday on the fire line, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Varney was driving a bulldozer to create a gap in vegetation to keep the flames from extending into a nearby community, according to fire chief Nancy Koerperich.
The wildfire is one of several burning across the state and among 56 large blazes that are active in the U.S., most in the American West, a region that is struggling with drought and heat.
A blaze near the California-Oregon border that killed a 72-year-old resident and injured three firefighters was almost entirely contained after burning more than 60 square miles of dry brush.
Crews got full control over a stubborn fire that scorched 142 square miles of brush and destroyed 20 structures in Yolo and Napa counties. Investigators said an electric livestock fence that was improperly installed sparked the flames.
In the fire near Yosemite, investigators were trying to find out more details about Varney’s death Saturday, but they believe he was working his way out of the fire area when he was killed, Koerperich said.
“This certainly is going to be devastating to his family and those of us who call him family here with Cal Fire,” she said.
Varney had worked for Cal Fire for 10 years. His father also worked as a Cal Fire heavy equipment operator. He is survived by his wife, Jessica; daughter Malhea, 5; and son Nolan, 3.
Gov. Jerry Brown ordered flags at the California Capitol to be flown at half-staff to honor “a man who dedicated his life to protecting his fellow Californians.”