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Friday, Jul. 31, 2009

Evacuees in Tuolumne County fire allowed to return

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SONORA -- The voluntary evacuation has been lifted for the community of Mount Knight as more than 1,000 firefighters continue to battle the Knight fire.

The fire, which started Sunday, was at 1,643 acres as of 6:15 p.m. Thursday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Web site. The fire was at 10 percent containment.

Knight fire information officer Duane Lyon said the voluntary evacuations affected 21 homes in the Mount Knight subdivision. On Sunday, officials had called for voluntary evacuations. Lyon said residents were advised Thursday they could return home.

The fire is burning in steep and rocky terrain, with limited road access, about 10 miles north of Twain Harte, near Mount Knight on the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River.

Cal Fire reported that 1,190 fire personnel were battling the blaze. Lyon said there was no prediction Thursday for when the forest fire would be fully contained.

The Knight fire is so named because Mount Knight is the high point of the burning ridge, which rises to about 3,500 feet.