Tulare County Issues Evacuation Order for Portions of Three Rivers

Photo: TCSO

 

VISALIA, CA – Tulare County Sheriff has issued a mandatory evacuation for portions of Three Rivers.

The Tulare County Sheriff announced a mandatory evacuation for a portion of Three Rivers, south and east from 198, east to south of the Fork Campground, including South Fork Drive, Horn, and Cahoon Mtn. and adjacent roads, due to the SQF Complex fire activity.

An AlertTC notification was sent to community members for voluntary evacuations:
This is an update for Tulare County, in addition to the Mandatory South Fork Evacuation, Tulare County has also issued a Voluntary Evacuation Warning for the remainder of Three Rivers Area, as of 1:15 PM, due to the growth of the SQF Complex Fire. An Evacuation Warning, also known as a voluntary evacuation, means that you should prepare now to evacuate. Those who require extra time to evacuate should consider leaving.

 

EVACUATION: South and east from 198, east to south of the Fork Campground, including South Fork Drive,
Horn, and Cahoon Mtn. and adjacent roads, due to the SQF Complex fire activity.
Mandatory evacuation means an immediate threat to life safety and property; all residents must
evacuate the area.

Evacuate north on South Fork Drive to west Old Three Rivers to head west on 198.

  • Road closures are as follows:
  • Highway 190 at Balch Park
  • Balch Park & Bear Creek
  • Balch Park & Yokohl
  • Mountain 50 & 107
  • Mountain 99 & Sherman Pass, Sherman Pass & Cherry

The temporary evacuation point is at the Exeter Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah in Exeter.

Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency Public Health, Behavioral Health, and Human
Services will be present until 8:00 p.m. at this time. Anyone who needs a hotel should call 1-
800-Red-Cross and register as an evacuee.

Woodlake Fair/Rodeo grounds, located at 19400 Avenue 398, has been identified as the point
of entry for large animals being evacuated.

 

For smaller domestic animals, the Tulare County
Animal Shelter is housing animals and staff are at the shelter at 14131 Ave. 256 in Visalia. For
information about sheltering your small domestic animals, call Shelter Manager Cassandra
Heffington at (559) 679-6222.

The Woodlake location will be staffed until 8:00 p.m. tonight.

The Sheriff’s Office has been working to communicate with residents for several days.
Please call 2-1-1 with questions.
For questions about the fire, please call (559) 697-5148.

 

Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern: