RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP

UPDATED at 08:30 UTC on Monday, 26 August 2013

Massive wildfire edges closer to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Rim Fire has moved to about 2 miles of a Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a key reservoir that supplies about 85% San Francisco’s water, or 2.6 million people in the area.

FIRE-EARTH estimates that the fire would have grown to about 145,000 acres, as of posting.

The giant fire, already the 14th largest in California history, continues to threaten power and water supplies to San Francisco, some 195 miles away.

The blaze consumed an additional 3,000 acres within Yosemite National Park by late Sunday, up from [13,000 acres] earlier in the day, forcing  the closure of the White Wolf area and the evacuation of 13 camps, said a report.

Rim Fire continued to spread near Yosemite National Park. Photo Credit: Elias Funez/MCT/Landov via NPR

The fire has so far destroyed at least 11 homes, 12 outbuildings and four commercial properties, as well as two power structures that supply San Francisco with electricity, the report said.

RIM FIRE started on August 17 in the Stanislaus National Forest and remained at 7% containment, with 2,846 personnel deployed, as of posting.

The fire is sending smoke columns to heights of more than 30,000 feet, said USFS.

About 2,250 households are currently under mandatory evacuation, and the blaze threatens 4,500 structures.

California Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency for San Francisco on Friday due to the damage caused to electrical infrastructure serving the City and County of San Francisco, which had forced the officials to shut down two of the three hydroelectric power stations in the YNP area, as well as the power lines.

Latest Mandatory Evacuations

A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for residences north of Old Yosemite Road (Forest Road 2S01).

An Evacuation Warning has been issued for all residences north of Bull Creek Road (Forest Road 2S02), Bondurant Mine Road, Texas Hill Road, and Wampum Hill. The Mandatory Evacuation and Evacuation Warning has been issued by the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. [Inciweb]

RIM FIRE Map.  Click map for latest version.

UPDATE continues…

For additional information see:

• RIM FIRE Forces New Closures at Yosemite National Park August 25, 2013
• State of Emergency Declared for SF due to RIM FIRE August 24, 2013
• RIM FIRE Crosses into Yosemite National Park August 24, 2013
• State of Emergency Declared as Calif. Wildfire Explodes August 23, 2013
• Large Wildfires in the West Burn Homes, Force More Evacuations August 21, 2013
• State of Emergency Declared in 31 Montana Counties due to Wildfires August 20, 2013
• Beaver Creek Fire Consumes 100,000 acres
• “Take Your Essentials Belongings and Pets and GO NOW” August 18, 2013