BlockBefore

Portex, California

18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1928 and the latest in 1993. It stands in the Strathmore census division. It lies in ZIP code area 93267. It lies near Frazier Valley. The Survey maps it on the Lindsay quadrangle. The federal gazetteer marks this settlement historical: it is no longer a populated place, though the surveys that recorded it still are.

Portex within Tulare County

Then and now

1928 to 1993

The same ground, surveyed 65 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Portex (historical), surveyed 1993
Topographic sheet of Portex (historical), surveyed 1928

Topographic sheets covering this place

11 surveys from 18 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

429 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 429 fires within 5 miles of Portex (historical) between 1992 and 2019, burning about 3,128 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 137 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Arson/incendiarism137
Missing data/not specified/undetermined124
Equipment and vehicle use90
Misuse of fire by a minor24
Smoking21
Debris and open burning20
Recreation and ceremony5
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Natural3
Other causes1
Firearms and explosives use1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 1995Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTulare UnitKNUTSON
6 September 2005Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTulare UnitHARBISON
6 September 2001Arson/incendiarismunder an acreTulare UnitSTATE CALIFORIA #72
6 September 2001Arson/incendiarismunder an acreCentral California DistrictZIKE
6 September 1999Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTulare UnitLIME
5 September 2003Arson/incendiarism8.0 acresCentral California DistrictZIKE
5 September 1993Debris and open burning3.0 acresTulare UnitSINER
29 September 2002Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresTulare UnitPIERRO

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Tulare County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 29 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 29 workings within 5 miles of Portex (historical): 12 past producers, 8 prospects, 3 occurrences, 3 unknowns. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Magnesite, Copper, Chromium, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Blue CrystalCopper, Gold, SilverProspect
Cemetery Borrow PitGranite, Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Unnamed LocationGemstoneOccurrence
E.A. Orton PropertyTalc-SoapstonePast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Pacific Cement & Aggregate Co.Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed LocationTalc-SoapstoneProspect
Brown Borrow PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Frazier Valley Borrow PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
James MineChromiumPast Producer1915, 1916

Every working recorded in Tulare County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Prewit (historical)1.0 miles18
Abilene1.4 miles18
Mirador1.5 miles18
Strathmore1.8 miles18
Gillete2.0 miles18
El Mirador2.3 miles18
Zante2.3 miles23
Tiffin (historical)2.6 miles18

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1661910. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.