Oak Fire (2022)

The Oak Fire was a destructive wildfire that burned north of the community of Bootjack in Mariposa County, California and in the Sierra National Forest, during the 2022 California wildfire season.[5] The fire was reported on July 22, 2022, and burned 19,244 acres (7,788 ha) before being fully contained on August 10, 2022.[1] On June 16, 2023, a 71-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson for starting the fire.[3]

Oak Fire
Pyrocumulus cloud created from the Oak Fire, seen from a truck stop in Madera Acres on July 22
LocationMariposa County, California, United States
Coordinates37.5509366°N 119.9234728°W / 37.5509366; -119.9234728
Statistics[1]
Cost$93 million
Date(s)July 22 – August 10, 2022 (2022-07-22 – 2022-08-10)
Burned area19,244 acres (7,788 ha)
CauseArson[2][3]
Buildings destroyed193 destroyed
10 damaged
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries3
Evacuated6,062[4]
Map
Oak Fire (2022) is located in California
Oak Fire (2022)
Location of Oak Fire in California

Events

The Oak Fire was first reported on July 22, 2022.[5] Multiple state fire officials reported unprecedented fire behavior, particularly during the first day of the incident, saying it was "some of the most extreme behavior" that they had seen.[6] A pyrocumulus cloud created by the fire could be seen as far away as Reno, Nevada.[7] The fire spread quickly, in part due to long-range ember spotting of over a mile.[8] The fire burned through the footprint of the 2013 Carstens Fire.[9]

On July 23, 2022, Governor of California Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Mariposa County as a result of the fire.[10][11]

By the morning of July 24, the third day of the fire, 2,093 personnel were battling the fire, according to Cal Fire. This included 17 helicopters, 225 fire engines, and 58 bulldozers to create firebreaks.[6] The fire moved north and east, approaching and entering the older burn scars of the 2019 Briceburg Fire and the 2018 Ferguson Fire.

The total cost of the firefighting effort reached $93 million.[12]

Impacts

Closures and evacuations

The Oak Fire threatened multiple communities in rural Mariposa County, including Darrah, Midpines, and Jerseydale.

Some residents of Mariposa County expressed concerns regarding the presence and participation of uniformed militia members during evacuation efforts,[13] prompting the Mariposa Sheriff's Office to clarify that they had not activated the militia.[14][15]

Environmental

In parts of the Sierra Nevada, such as the Lake Tahoe Basin, the smoke caused poor visibility and plummeting air qualities, reaching unhealthy to hazardous levels.[16][17]

See also
Through a screen of dead, burned trees a dark tower of smoke blocks out the setting sun.
The plume of smoke generated by the Oak Fire as seen from the Washburn Fire on July 22, 2022.

References
  1. "Oak Fire Incident Report". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  2. "Man, 71, charged with setting massive Yosemite park fire initially blamed on climate change". New York Post. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  3. Man accused of starting Oak fire that destroyed 127 homes near Yosemite is arrested, Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2023, Archive
  4. "Fire officials order 6,000 people to evacuate from Yosemite area". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  5. "Oak Fire in Mariposa County explodes to 9,500 acres, has reached Sierra National Forest". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  6. Kuwada, Robert (July 25, 2022). "Oak Fire live updates: 'Extreme' wildfire surpasses 15,500 acres, crews race to halt spread". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  7. "A midsummer fire in California expands to nearly 12,000 acres and threatens homes". NBC News. July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  8. Fry, Hannah; Dillon, Liam; Queally, James (July 24, 2022). "Oak Fire near Yosemite rages, threatening mountain communities. 'It's pretty devastating'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  9. Rodgers, Jakob; Greschler, Gabriel; Kelly, George (July 24, 2022). "'Nothing was going to stop it': More evacuations ordered as Oak Fire rages west of Yosemite". The Mercury News. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  10. Cursino, Malu; Wertheimer, Tiffany (July 23, 2022). "Oak Fire: Emergency declared as wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park". BBC News. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  11. "Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in Mariposa County Due to Oak Fire". California Governor. July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  12. "National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report" (PDF). NIFC. October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  13. "California militia helping Oak Fire evacuees creates furor in Mariposa". Mercury News. July 26, 2022.
  14. "Mariposa Sheriff's Office says it's aware of local 'militia' spotted amid Oak Fire". Merced Sun-Star.
  15. Briscoe, Tony; Hernandez, Salvador; Martinez, Christian; Lin, Summer (July 27, 2022). "Uniformed militia members offering help to Oak fire victims sparks furor near Yosemite". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022. Calling itself the Echo Company of the California State Militia's 2nd Regiment, the group had set up a field kitchen off Highway 140 recently and told the Merced Sun-Star it was offering food, water and a place to stay for those in need ... The group in Mariposa County had once been affiliated with a larger militia with a similar name, but the larger militia cut ties with Echo Company because of an incident in 2020, it said, when they inserted armed members between Black Lives Matter supporters and pro-police groups in a protest in Atwater. In a 2020 statement, the larger group wrote online that it disavowed Echo Company because of 'potential legal liability in light of the continued militant activities of other units,' and called the actions 'inciteful.'
  16. "Air quality unhealthy-to-hazardous in South Lake Tahoe". Tahoe Daily Tribune. July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  17. Hildebrand, Kurt. "Update: Smoke back with unhealthy levels in Carson Valley". The Record-Courier. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
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