Update: Fire In Moccasin Acreage Jumps
View VideoUpdate at 9:50pm: The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office reports that Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake is under a mandatory evacuation order due to the Moc Fire. It includes up Highway 120 to Big Creek Shaft Road. Westbound 120 is open for people to evacuate. Continuing day 2 fire updates on August 21 here.
Update at 8:30 p.m.: Tuolumne County Sheriff’s office updates that Old Hwy 120 is now under mandatory evacuation. The Moc Fire remains 1,700 acres with no containment and heading southeast.
Mariposa County Sheriff’s office has issued these new advisory evacuations for the Greeley Hill / Coulterville area. This includes all roads North and South of Greeley Hill Road (J132) from the 4700 Block of Hwy 132 to Hwy 120. They stress this is NOT a Mandatory Evacuation, this is an advisement only of fire in the area, allowing residents to prepare for a potential Evacuation Order should conditions change. No action is required at this time, however, anyone that feels unsafe should leave the area.
Details on all Tuolumne County evacuations, shelters and road closures can be found below. A special thanks to our community partners Trey Hawkins and Sheena Hart for the pictures and video. Click here for a link to a Tuolumne County evacuation zone map.
Update at 7:15 p.m.: CAL Fire reports the Moc Fire has soared to 1,700 acres and there are hundreds of homes threatened. The fire is moving southeast toward Coulterville and there is still no containment. Tuolumne County Sheriff’s office has issued a new mandatory evacuation for Hwy 120 to Boneyard, Second Garrote, and Incense Cedar Trail, and everything West of Second Garrote, Cherokee Trail, and Yosemite Springs. Click here for a link to the evacuation zone map in the image box. The CHP reports an additional road closure at Priest-Coulterville and the Greeley Hill Road intersection. For those evacuating the Mother Lode Fairgrounds shelter on Stockton Road in Sonora is allowing pets and livestock. Find the latest on evacuations, shelters, and all the road closures below.
Update at 6:15 p.m.: The Moc Fire remains 400 acres and burning along both sides of Highway 49 in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County. Tuolumne County Sheriff’s officials have issued new mandatory evacuations for the Jackass Creek Road, Jackass Creek Ridge, and Jackass Ridge Access areas. CAL Fire says about 200 homes in the Big Oak Flat area remain threatened. The CHP also updates that evacuees can also leave the area through Yosemite National Park and advise them at the gate that you are evacuating from the Moc Fire. Additional information on evacuations, shelters and road closures is below.
Update at 5:45 p.m.: The Moc Fire is burning along Highway 49 in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County. CAL Fire reports that the blaze remains 400 acres and the flames are currently threatening about 200 homes in the Big Oak Flat area. Further details on evacuations, shelters and road closures are below.
Update at 5:20 p.m.: The Moc Fire burning on both sides of Highway 49 has jump another hundred acres to 400 acres. CAL Fire officials say the flames are moving southeast at a critical rate towards Groveland.
According to Tuolumne County Sheriff’s officials, there is an evacuation warning for Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake residents. An evacuation warning indicates that there is a potential threat to life and or property, those who require additional time to evacuate, or those with pets or livestock, should leave now.
Mandatory evacuations include Priest-Coulterville Road to Hwy 132, Big Oak Flat, Hwy 120 to Merrell Rd, Old and New Priest Grade roads, and Moccasin.
Advisories are in place for Moccasin Ranch Estates as well as Ponderosa to Marshes Flat.
Mariposa County Fairgrounds is an evacuation center as is the Mother Lode Fairgrounds Manzanita building in Sonora.
Sheriff’s officials also reconfirm hard road closures as Old and New Priest Grade; Hwy 132/Coulterville; Hwy 49/120 and 49/132; Marshes Flat and Granite Springs roads; east and westbound 120 at Jacksonville Road. They direct those leaving the area to head east to Smith Station and Hwy 132.
The sheriff’s department has set up two non-emergency service lines requesting to call these instead of dispatch: 533-6505 and 533-5833.
PG&E has shut off the power to 4,100 customers through Big Oak Flat to Merrell Road.
Update at 4:30 p.m.: The Moc Fire burning on both sides of Highway 49 has jump another hundred acres to 400 acres. The flames are moving southeast at a critical rate, according to CAL Fire in the vicinity of Big Oak Flat and Groveland. PG&E has shut off the power to 4,100 customers through Big Oak Flat to Merrell Road. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for the community of Moccasin, Marshes Flat, and Moccasin Ranch Estates as well as from Hwy 120 at Moccasin through Big Oak Flat, to Merrell Road in Groveland. This includes Priest Coulterville Road. Hwy 120 at 49 is now closed to through travel.
Additionally, an evacuation warning is now being issued from Hwy 120 at Moccasin through Big Oak Flat. Two emergency shelters have been set up. One at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds on Stockton Road in Sonora at the Manzanita Building. The other is at the Mariposa Fairgrounds located at 5007 Fairgrounds Road in Mariposa.
Road closures, according to the CHP, they are moving the hard closure of Highway 120 from Moccasin to Jacksonville Road. There are hard closures in place at the top and bottom of both Old and New Priest grades. CHP is also diverting traffic at Highway 132 Coulterville. According to the CHP, the route out of Groveland is Smith Station Road to Greeley Hill to Coulterville and Highway 132. Priest-Coulterville Road is also closed as well as Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road has also been closed at Granite Springs.
Update at 3:40 p.m.: The Moc Fire has now crossed over Highway 49 and has soared to 300 acres heading towards Big Oak Flat and Groveland.
CAL Fire reports the flames are well established in the brush and are spreading at a “critical” rate. Tuolumne County Sheriff’s officials have issued evacuation orders:
MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER: now being issued from Hwy 120 at Moccasin through Big Oak Flat, to Merrell Rd in Groveland. This includes Priest Coulterville Rd.
Evacuation orders are now being given for the community of Moccasin, as well as Marshes Flat and Moccasin Ranch Estates.
Hwy 120 at 49 is now closed to through travel.
Evacuation warnings are issued from Hwy 120 at Moccasin through Big Oak Flat, including Priest Coulterville Rd.
Animal Control (209) 694-2730 and Team Elite (209) 782-0616 are on standby to assist with animals.
Evacuation order means- There is an IMMEDIATE threat to life and property. This is a lawful order to leave the area immediately, and the area is lawfully closed to public access
An emergency evacuation shelter is being set up at the Manzanita Building at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora.
Road closures include:
HWY 49 at Highways 120 and 132/Blacks Creek in the Coulterville area
Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road at Granite Springs.
According to the CHP, they have hard closures in place of eastbound and westbound Hwy 120 at Moccasin and at Highway 49 at 120 west of Moccasin. There are hard closures in place at the top and bottom of both Old and New Priest grades. CHP is also diverting traffic at Highway 132 Coulterville. According to the CHP, the route out of Groveland is Smith Station Road to Greeley Hill to Coulterville and Highway 132.
Update at 2:50 p.m.: While crews have managed to keep the Moc Fire at 50 acres and evacuation warning has been issued by Tuolumne County Sheriff’s officials. They detail that deputies are arriving to give evacuation warnings to residents from Marshes Flat Road to Moccasin Ranch Estates with residents asked to head towards La Grange. An evacuation warning indicates that there is a potential threat to life and or property, those who require additional time to evacuate, or those with pets or livestock, should leave now.
The flames ignited just before 1 p.m. in some brush on the west side of Highway 49 in the 16000 block of the highway, southeast of Highway 120 and the Moccasin Reservoir, between the highway and the Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road. The fire continues to move at a moderate rate of spread with zero containment.
Road closures include:
HWY 49 at Highways 120 and 132/Blacks Creek in the Coulterville area
Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road has also been closed at Granite Springs.
Update at 2:35 p.m.: Air and ground crews have managed to hold the Moc Fire at 50 acres but there remains no containment. One structure is still threatened. The flames are moving at a moderate rate of spread. The fire broke out just before 1 p.m. in some brush in the 16000 block of Highway 49, southeast of Highway 120 and the Moccasin Reservoir near the Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road. It is burning between the west side of Highway 49 and Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County.
Road closures include:
- HWY 49 at Highways 120 and 132/Blacks Creek in the Coulterville area
- Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road has also been closed at Granite Springs.
Update at 2 p.m.: The Moc Fire has climbed to 50 acres with no containment and is still moving at a moderate rate of spread. CAL Fire reports it is burning between the west side of Highway 49 and Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County.
The CHP has shut down the highway at Highways 120 and 132/Blacks Creek in the Coulterville area. Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road has also been closed at Granite Springs.
Update at 1:30 p.m.: The acreage has jumped on what CAL Fire has dubbed the “Moc Fire” burning in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County.
The fire has climbed from three to 30 acres and is burning at a moderate rate of spread. One structure is threatened, but what type has not been identified. The flames ignited just before 1 p.m. in some brush on the west side of Highway 49 in the 16000 block of the highway, southeast of Highway 120 and the Moccasin Reservoir near the Kelly Grade/Marshes Flat Road.
The CHP has shut down the southbound lane of Highway 49 at the Highway 120 intersection. Additional resources have been called to the scene including another helicopter and two tankers.
Original post at 12:57 p.m.: Moccasin, CA — Ground and Columbia Helicopter 404 are battling a vegetation fire along the west side of Highway 49 in the Moccasin area of Tuolumne County.
It is southeast of Highway 120 and the Moccasin Reservoir near the Kelly Grade. CAL Fire reports it is three acres in size burning in brush at a moderate rate of spread with one structure threatened. An update will be provided as soon as new information comes into the newsroom.
