A Wildfire that erupted in California's Eastern Sierra region over the weekend quickly spread to nearly 1,600 acres by Monday night, prompting evacuations in multiple counties.
The Silver Fire ignited at 2:11 p.m. local time Sunday in Inyo County near Highway 6 and Silver Canyon Road, north of Bishop, near the state border with Nevada, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, said.
Despite progress Monday that includes 47% containment, evacuation orders remained in place for multiple communities, including the Laws in Inyo County, Chalfant in Mono County and the White Mountain Estates neighborhoods, Cal Fire said.
“Firefighters have successfully stopped the forward spread,” Cal Fire said a a statement Monday evening. “Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place as threats persist to structures, critical infrastructure, endangered species, watersheds, and cultural and heritage resources.”
A 30-mile stretch of Highway 6 was closed due to the fire but reopened Monday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.
Firefighters had their hands full on Sunday, when the inferno quickly grew to 1,000 acres, with zero percent containment, according to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office.
Photos of the blaze by Cal Fire showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from orange flames consuming dry, yellowed brush.
Strong winds and gusts fueled the fire, which "created hazardous conditions, grounding some firefighting aircraft and complicating containment efforts," according to Cal Fire.
Forceful winds continued into the late morning Monday, when a day-topping gust of 46 mph was recorded at Bishop Airport, according to National Weather Service data.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation, and an evacuation center was set up at Bishop Senior Center in Bishop.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for the Eastern Sierra region through 9 p.m. Monday. Southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 65 mph are forecast for the area, which could lead to further fire spread.
Rain and elevation-dependent snow were expected late Monday into Tuesday morning as a winter-style Pacific storm marches into California and beyond, the weather service said. Cal Fire said crews will remain at the scene overnight, dousing hot spots and monitoring the weather.
Dangerous fires have been burning across the country in the past weeks. Blazes exploded in South Carolina this month and continue to burn.
South Carolina state officials are expected to lift a statewide burn ban for most counties Monday morning. However, five counties —Greenville, Horry, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg — face ongoing wildfire threats and will remain under restrictions.
There, the Table Rock Fire spans more than 13,000 acres in South Carolina and 574 acres in neighboring North Carolina, and was 30% contained, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. Meanwhile, the Persimmon Ridge Fire burned more than 2,000 acres and was 64% contained.
Nearly an inch of rain fell in the area of the fires in the last 25 hours, and as much as a half inch more was expected before Tuesday, the forestry commission said Monday.
Mandatory evacuations remained in place for some residents of Greenville County. These fires are fueled by dry vegetation and downed timber left in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
