June Lake fire in Mono County under control, Highway 158 reopened

UPDATE THURSDAY 3:40PM: Go here for the latest on the King Fire. June Lake Road was to be opened at 2 p.m. Thursday. Here's a news brief from Mono County Sheriff's Office.

UPDATE: June Lake Fire Road Closures. The fire remains controlled with small hot spots. Fire crews continue to work on these hot spots.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will begin letting people through Hwy 158 beginning at 1:00 PM with the advisement of fire activity and equipment on the roadway. Please be aware and respect all fire equipment, personnel and hazards in or on the roadway. Think safety first for our fire and law enforcement personnel and for yourselves. Please use caution when traveling through the area.

Hwy 158 is anticipated to be fully open at 2:00 PM. Again, please be mindful of fire personnel and equipment and all first responders and law enforcement in the area. Travel safe!

****

UPDATE 330PM: According to a Tweet this afternoon from Caltrans, Highway 50 is back open but the westbound No. 2 lane will remain closed overnight because of ongoing King Fire issues. A portion of the highway and artery for traffic into and out of South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, had been closed since Tuesday, from Sly Park Road to Fresh Pond, due to burning trees falling on the road.

Meanwhile, the June Fire burning in Mono County is estimated to be 65 acres and 50 percent contained. Today, a coordinated effort included strategic retardant and water drops to help “box the fire” and cool hot spots along the edge while multiple crews improved fireline on the southeast flank as well as continuing line construction to the north and western flanks. Crews used the shaded fuel break to assist in line construction near the community. The fire is burning in an area with multiple dead and downed trees in the mixed conifer forest.
The concern for today was strong, erratic, and gusty winds over the fire area. Firefighters on the ground as well as air attack are being diligent to try to detect possible spots outside the fire perimeter as a result of this wind event.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.

*****
Highway 50 remains closed this morning in El Dorado County from Sly Park Road to Fresh Pond due to burning trees falling on the roadway. The King Fire east of Pollock Pines has grown considerably burning 18,544 acres and fire crews have not been able to gain any ground. Just 5 percent has been contained.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out south of Carson City in Mono County, Calif., Tuesday near June Lake. Highway 395 was open as of Wednesday morning, however Highway 158 at Oh Ridge Point is closed, according to the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire is around 50 acres as of Wednesday morning and burning east of June Mountain toward the south side of town limits. Multiple aircraft have been ordered and will be starting their fire suppression services within the hour. Air equipment will be using the Lee Vining Airport.

Also, there will be no recreational activities allowed on Gull Lake and June Lake Wednesday as fire helicopters will be using the water from the lakes for air dipping. Structure protection is still in full effect throughout town. Fire crews are ensuring the protection of structures. There is no damage to any structures at this time. As of now, there have been no reported injuries of responding personnel or local residents.

Power has been cut off in June Lake from east of June Mountain, throughout town, and south junction. The power was cut to ensure firefighter safety. At this time, there is no estimated time when power will be turned back on. Along with the power outage, phone services, including land lines and cell phones, are still inoperable. There is no estimation on when services will be restored.

An emergency evacuation shelter is open at the June Lake Community Center. For updates on the June Lake Fire, go to the Mammoth Times Facebook page here.