Silver fire in California prompts evacuations

A wildfire in eastern California that ignited Sunday has spread to 1,250 acres and has prompted evacuations, state fire officials said.

The wildfire, named the Silver fire, began around 2:11 p.m. north of Bishop, a city about halfway between Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park, according to Cal Fire, the state fire agency.

The agency shared photos on social media that showed bright flames and clouds of smoke burning a grassy, rural area below towering mountain ranges.

Strong winds helped intensify the fire overnight, Cal Fire said on social media Monday morning, adding that it had “significantly increased” resources to stifle the blaze. “The fire is actively threatening structures, critical infrastructure, endangered species habitats, watersheds, and cultural and heritage resources,” the agency said.

Officials ordered evacuations in parts of Inyo County and Mono County and closed a 30-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 6. The fire was zero percent contained, and there were no known injuries from the fire as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.

As of Monday evening, the fire did not pose a threat to the city of Bishop, said Nathaniel Derr, chief of the Bishop Police Department.

On Sunday, efforts to fight the fast-moving fire were complicated by strong winds that grounded some aircraft, Cal Fire said.

The National Weather Service said a high wind warning was still in place in the region Monday morning and would remain through the evening. The weather service warned that gusts could reach up to 65 mph and that strong winds could blow down power lines and trees.

A storm system delivered light to moderate rain across low-lying areas of California on Monday and, more notably, dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada.

But eastern California, where the fire is burning, was expected to get more wind than precipitation.

“It’s possible the fire could get some very light rain but probably not enough to make a difference,” Matt Woods, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Las Vegas, said Monday afternoon.

“The strongest winds will be done by this evening, maybe around 8 p.m. local time, but it’s going to remain windy overnight into tomorrow evening,” he said. “The winds tomorrow will be a little weaker but still gusty.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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