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

Crews continued working Tuesday, Sept. 8, 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 Monday toward communication towers at Mount Pinos and the community of Corte Madera, Cal Fire said.

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 morning evacuation orde...