Firefighters in California were racing to control a fast-growing fire in Mono County near the Nevada state line that started at 10 acres on Thursday afternoon and quickly grew to 1,000 acres, prompting evacuations in the area, fire officials said.
The state fire agency said that up to 20 homes had been threatened by the fire, known as the Pack fire. It was not immediately clear whether they had been damaged.
More than 1,700 residents were under evacuation orders, based on a New York Times analysis of the evacuation zones and LandScan population data.
Strong winds of up to 40 miles per hour were helping fuel the fire, according to Alison Hesterly, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The winds were so strong, she said, that aircraft that had been helping fight the fire had been grounded for now.
Ms. Hesterly said that it was “far too early” to determine how long it would take fire crews to control the fire.
“Part of it is going to be dictated by the wind and how it continues,” she said.
Crews were also monitoring the fire’s trajectory. If the fire moved toward Crowley Lake, Ms. Hesterly said, it would be easier for crews to control the fire.
“But we can’t predict that, because the winds can be a little bit erratic in that area,” Ms. Hesterly said.
The cause of the fire was unclear.
The Pack fire is burning in a remote section of the eastern Sierra Nevada that is studded with glittering alpine lakes and campgrounds that attract fishermen and hikers during the summer. Evacuation orders are affecting the Mammoth Lakes community, where residents have been preparing for the start of ski season.
Mammoth Mountain, the area’s primary ski destination, was set to have its opening day on Saturday. But a storm that is expected to soak much of California in coming days had already prompted the ski area’s operators to delay that opening until “Mother Nature gives us the green light,” according to an announcement on the Mammoth Mountain website.
The same storm could be helpful to firefighters battling the Pack fire, as forecasters are predicting rain and snow for parts of Mono County.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a portion of the county, which is in effect through 4 p.m. on Friday. As much as a foot of snow is possible in areas higher than 9,000 feet, and strong winds are possible through the area, according to the Weather Service. The storm could create difficult travel conditions, the Weather Service said, and strong winds could damage trees and power lines.
The California Department of Transportation said that a roughly 13-mile stretch of U.S. Route 395 was closed, with no estimates of when it would reopen.
Jesus Jiménez is a Times reporter covering Southern California.
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