Wind-Driven Mono County Wildfire Forces Evacuations

A stubborn wildfire driven by high winds Monday forced the evacuation of more than 150 tourists and residents around Topaz Lake in Mono County, and left two stretches of highway closed, authorities said.

The 7,200-acre fire, a complex of three flare-ups sparked by lightning just north of Walker, tore through stands of Jeffrey pine, pinyon, juniper and sagebrush, crossing over California 89 and scorching part of U.S. 395, which may be closed for up to a week because of burned guardrails and power poles, said Tom Crawford, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management’s fire response team.

Much of the fire was burning on the Nevada side of Toiyabe National Forest, although one front was advancing up Monitor Pass, he said. Some 614 firefighters battled two fronts heading northwest and northeast, driven by winds from the south, Crawford said. “A good portion of it is still burning on the California side,” he said.

Firefighters saved the Topaz Lodge and other structures, but a barn belonging to the state Department of Fish and Game was destroyed. Evacuations were ordered from the lake area, Holbrook Junction and Double Springs Flat, Crawford said.

The fire was only about 10% contained as of Monday night, and expected to grow overnight. The blaze was one of dozens sparked by lightning storms that passed over the Sierra over the weekend.