FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Crews have begun to gain containment on the Oak Fire in Mariposa County that has forced more than 6,000 people to leave their homes.
Monday afternoon, officials reduced some evacuation orders to fire advisements. The areas will only be open to residents who live in the area.
Those areas are:
A fire advisement is not an evacuation order. It is to advise residents of the area of the possible need to evacuate.
As of Monday morning, the Oak Fire had scorched 17,241 acres with 16% containment, becoming the largest wildfire California has suffered so far this year.
RELATED: Oak Fire: Newly married couple return to find Mariposa County home in ashes
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County.
The Oak Fire was sparked just after 2 pm Friday near the community of Midpines between Mariposa and Yosemite National Park. By evening, it had reached the Sierra National Forest.
CAL FIRE says that 55 structures have been destroyed and 3,271 remain under threat from the wildfire. At least 21 of those structures destroyed were homes.
More than 2,000 fire personnel are fighting to control the flames from ground and from air, racing against time with the fire burning dangerously close to homes and buildings.
Governor Newsom has secured federal funding to keep resources moving in. Crews from across the state have already started to arrive.
Firefighting efforts are being hampered by hot weather with minimal humidity. The fire is also burning in an area with high tree mortality and dense fuels.
Video taken by an ABC30 crew shows huge, dark clouds of smoke rising from entire hillsides engulfed in flames.
This is the third wildfire in the county in two weeks.
Firefighters are still trying to fully contain the Washburn Fire.
RELATED: Track wildfires across Central California and the state with this interactive map
Officials said some CAL FIRE units battling the Washburn Fire were being diverted to fight the Oak Fire.
On Friday afternoon, the sheriff’s office issued an evacuation order for the following areas:
You can find updates on the evacuations by clicking on this Mariposa County map.
The following roads have been closed to traffic:
Triangle Road from Hwy 140 to East Westfall Road and all side roads, Jerseydale Rd, Silva Road from Cole Road to Triangle Road, Darrah Road from Bootjack Lane to Triangle Rd, East Westfall Road from Triangle Road to Oliver Creek, Cole Rd, Carlton Road from Triangle to Silva Road, Allred Road from Hwy 140 to Morningstar, Morning Star from Carlton to Allred including all side roads, Ponderosa Way to Feliciana Mountain Rd Including Feliciana Mountain Rd, Carstens Road including all side roads, Brooks Road
An evacuation center has been set up by the Red Cross at Mariposa Elementary School. All the residents and responders who were at the New Life Christian Church have been relocated to the elementary school. Evacuees are being given safe shelter, water, meals and more resources.
Address of evacuation centers:
Animal evacuation centers:
Officials are urging anyone who needs information to call the Oak Fire information line: 844-MMU-FIRE (844-668-3473)
For the latest developments, photos and videos on the Oak Fire, click here.
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