PRATHER, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — A fast-moving wildfire dubbed the Oak Fire forced Fresno County CAL FIRE crews to quickly set up a defense near Prather.
The blaze started around 4 p.m. Sunday in the Morgan Canyon and Country Oak Lane area, close to Highway 168.
“The fire is at a dangerous rate of spread. Within several minutes, it went from one acre to five acres and luckily the air resources arrived on scene,” said Fresno County Cal Fire Captain Gary Couch.
As of Monday morning, the Oak Fire has burned 13 acres and is 15 percent contained.
Along with support from the sky, 15 fire engines, four water tenders and six hand crews helped battle the blaze on the ground.
At the top of the hill, Camille Burton and Caleb Linman had just arrived home from vacation when Linman saw the flames moving towards their home.
“Fighting the fire just right here and it was getting so close, and the wind was just blowing all the smoke, all the fire towards us,” said Burton.
The two were battling the blaze for about 15 minutes before firefighters arrived.
The pair had planned to head out on Sunday, but Burton says thankfully they were still home when the fire ignited.
“If we had left, yeah, the house would be gone if the timing didn’t work out like that, yeah,” said Burton.
Burton’s family home previously came close to being destroyed by the 2020 Creek Fire – so she and Linman know the importance of creating defensible space.
“A lot of the firefighters had been commenting on, we positioned ourselves well with all the work beforehand, and they thanked us, yeah they thanked us,” said Linman.
Evacuation warnings and orders were previously in place, but they have since been lifted. Firefighters are expected to be in the area for the next 48 hours.
