'Extreme Turbulence' Grounds Firefighting Aircraft at Silver Fire near Bishop, CA
Mar. 30—A fast-growing fire forced evacuations Sunday afternoon near Bishop, an Eastern Sierra city that is a popular springboard for High Sierra hikers and skiers.
The Silver Fire, which began shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday and measured at 1,000 acres by early evening, caused evacuations in desert communities in Inyo and Mono counties as it spread rapidly toward the north and east.
Cal Fire was at the scene, working with Bishop authorities. Some firefighting aircraft were grounded to due to the high winds, which Cal Fire said were creating 'extreme turbulence.' The fire was "active in thick brush," Cal Fire reported around 8 p.m.
The National Weather Service said that winds at the Bishop Airport were gusting at up to 35 miles per hour. Commercial pilots have also been warned of severe turbulence in the southeastern California area. The gusty conditions are expected to continue at least until mid-morning Monday.
Evacuations were ordered in Laws, a tiny Inyo County community just east of Bishop, and also in Chalfant in Mono County — as well as the White Mountain Estates neighborhood between the two. About 30 miles of U.S. 6, a north-south route, were closed.
Ashley Helms, Inyo County's public works deputy director for airports, said the Silver Fire was not impacting operations at Bishop Airport. The airport, which bills itself as "the gateway to the Eastern Sierra" and is located 2 miles east of the city of Bishop, did not have any commercial flights scheduled on Sunday and did not have any flights scheduled until Wednesday, Helms said. Airport officials were monitoring the fire as of Sunday afternoon, and the airport was not under evacuation warnings or orders.
Late March is toward the end of California's rainy season, so fires that cause evacuations during this time period are relatively rare. But Southern California has gotten less precipitation, as a percentage of normal, than Northern California this winter.
© 2025 the San Francisco Chronicle. Visit www.sfchronicle.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
