Location: Pier Fire, Tulare County
Incident Date: 9/2/17
City: Pier Fire, Tulare County
Posted by: Media Relations
Mandatory Evacuations of Balch Park Road from Hwy 190, Bear Creek, and SCICON Due to Pier Fire
Fire officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for the homes on Balch Park Road from Highway 190 to, and including Bear Creek Road, and the SCICON Campsite due to rapid movement of the Pier Fire. Mandatory evacuation means an immediate threat to life safety and property; all residents must evacuate the area.
Tulare County Sheriff Deputies worked through the night to notify residents affected by this mandatory evacuation order. The recommended evacuation route for Bear Creek and SCICON residents is Balch Park Road northbound through Yokohl Valley Road.
Please use extreme caution.
Additional road closures to allow quick access for fire crews were made and include: a hard closure for Balch Park Road between Highway 190 and Bear Creek; and a soft closure of Balch Park Road and Yokohl Valley Road.
A hard road closure means that no one is being allowed past the road barriers. A soft road closure means that residents must be able to show photo identification to go beyond the barriers.
Tulare County has two levels of evacuations: voluntary and mandatory.
The following communities remain under mandatory evacuation orders: Bear Creek, SCICON, Upper Rio Vista, Cow Mountain (Springville),Camp Nelson, Sequoia Crest, Mountain Aire (Rogers Camp), Cedar Slope, Alpine, Doyle Springs, Wishon, and Pierpoint.
The following communities remain under voluntary evacuation: Springville and Ponderosa.
For further information please call at 559-636-5496.
For more info, go to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5548/.
Evacuations: Tulare County has two levels of evacuations: voluntary and mandatory. A voluntary evacuation means residents should either evacuate or be prepared to do so should fire conditions worsen. Mandatory evacuations are issued when the fire poses an imminent threat to life and property.
Mandatory (NEW): Residences along Balch Park Road (County J37) north of Highway 190 to Bear Creek Road, Bear Creek Road (County 220) east of Balch Park Road, Scicon, Mountain Home Conservation Camp
Mandatory: Upper Rio Vista, Cow Mountain (Springville area), Sequoia Crest, Mountain Aire, Rogers Camp, Pierpoint Springs, Cedar Slope, Camp Nelson, Doyle Springs, Alpine Village, Wishon
Voluntary: Springville, Ponderosa
Evacuation Center: Porterville College Student Center, 100 E. College Ave., Porterville. Call 661-324-6427 (weekdays) or 800-REDCROSS.
Area Closures: Today, the Sequoia National Forest issued Closure Order No. 0513-17-34 (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5548/39662/). Forest trails, roads, and lands around the Pier Fire are closed until the fire is declared out. CAL FIRE has closed Mountain Home State Forest and Tulare County has closed Balch Park.
Both are closed until the fire is brought under control.
Hard Road Closures: The following roads are closed to all traffic:
Highway 190 east of Springville is closed south of Balch Park Road.
Highway 190 north of Ponderosa is closed at Forest Road 21S50.
Balch Park Road is closed at Bear Creek Road.
Soft Road Closures: The following roads are open only to residents with a photo ID:
Balch Park Road (County Road J37) at its junction with Yokhol Valley Road.