VIDEO: Strong winds on Monday drove an out-of-control wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes.
The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley. As of 7 p.m., the fire had burned at least 1,589 acres, according to Cal Fire. There is 47% containment, which measures how much of a perimeter crews have established to help prevent the fire from continuing to spread.
The potential for 65 mph (104 kph) gusts limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said. “The winds are very erratic,” she said. “One minute they’re pushing north, the next they’re going east.”
Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes in and around the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates near the Nevada border. Cal Fire said the blaze was threatening land belonging to the Bishop Paiute Tribe as well as habitats for endangered species, including the Owens pupfish and desert bighorn sheep.
