Rain in foothills stirs concerns over Garnet Fire burn scar

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The burn scar left behind from the Garnet Fire is just one of many concerns for Fresno County officials as the season’s first rain system moves into Central California. 

They’re worried about mudslides and debris flow. 

“We have our equipment on standby. We’ve got chainsaws gassed up and sharpened and ready to go. So whatever it brings, we’re ready,” Emergency Manager Terri Mejorado said. She said they’ve been tracking the forecast and working on getting the right crews in the right places, from the valley floor to the Sierra. 

While crews are focused on the 60,000-acre Garnet Fire burn scar, they’re most concerned about the areas also hit by the 2024 Basin Fire. 

“With the Garnet Fire, a lot of it was in remote areas where there were no homes, there were no cabins, there was no infrastructure. It was just forests. So, if we were to get a mudslide there, yes, it is going to cause more damage. More trees will come down. It’ll move some boulders and rocks. But probably the most area that we would be concerned at is around the Basin Fire. So that would be the PG&E hydroelectric plant and, you know, they have homes up there,” she said. 

On the valley floor, Mejorado said they’re always trying to make improvements to ease flooding. The county upgraded some drainage ditches just outside of Clovis on Bullard Avenue after repeated flooding in 2023. 

Fresno County supervisor Nathan Magsig represents much of eastern Fresno County. He said public works crews are stationed and ready to get dispatched in case any trees or large rocks fall on the roads. 

“Stay on the road, don’t be walking out trying to look at the burn scar area where the Garnet Fire has burned. Make wise decisions,” he said.