Valley Fire burns 17,345 acres in Japatul Valley area, air quality improving

ALPINE (CNS) - Crews Tuesday, Sept. 8 continued working to quell the Valley Fire, which has scorched 17,345 acres in Japatul Valley near Alpine and was 3% contained.

The blaze continued to burn to the east on Monday toward communication towers at Mt. Pinos and the community of Corte Madera, Cal Fire reported.

The inferno began around 2:15 p.m. Saturday off Spirit Trail and Japatul Road. It had burned 17,345 acres and was 3% contained as of 6:30 p.m. Monday.

A new evacuation order for Corte Madera, south of Pine Valley, went into effect Monday afternoon, Cal Fire said. The mandate followed morn...