Calif Wildfire Burns 864km²

RIM FIRE: Very active fire behavior reported

The ferocious wildfire in California’s Stanislaus National Forest has grown to 213,414 acres (333.5mi², or 864km²), with 35% containment.

Smoke, in addition to the fire, is becoming a major concern throughout the Yosemite National Park and the surrounding areas.

Rim FIRE Wildfire. Photo Credit: USFS/ Stanislaus National Forest

Analyzed Fires and Smoke from Satellite on this ArcIMS server were updated on Sat Aug 31 03:21:43 2013 UTC

Smoke from wildfires in the Americas. Source: NOAA/ NESDIS

Evacuations

• A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for residences north of Old Yosemite Road (Forest Road 2S01). Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated. Evacuation centers are at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora and at the Greeley Hill Community Center.

• 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 evacuation advisory remains in effect for Ponderosa Hills and areas east, along the south side of Highway 108 up to Pinecrest.

Fire Behavior

• Very active fire behavior on the east side of the fire today with running surface fire, torching and passive and sustained crown fire runs with considerable amounts of spotting. Moderate fire behavior with backing fire observed where fire was burning from ridgetops downslope.

Fire Stats

• Acres Burned: 213,414 acres
• Containment: 35% contained
• Structures Threatened: 5,506 (4,500 residences, 1,000 outbuildings, 6 commercial)
• Structures Destroyed: 111 (11 residences, 97 outbuildings, 3 commercial)

• Total Fire Personnel: 4,844
• Total Fire Engines: 466Total Fire crews: 110
• Total Helicopters: 29
• Total Dozers: 87
• Total Water Tenders: 55

[Other aircraft, including DC 10s have also deployed. Editor]

Current Conditions

Growth Potential: Extreme
Terrain Difficulty: Extreme
Fuels Involved: Brush, Oaks, and Pine

Wind Conditions: 15 mph SW
Temperature: 89 degrees
Humidity: 21%

Estimated Containment Date: Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM

Last Updated: August 30, 2013 18:30 PDT
Sourced from:   Stanislaus National Forest / CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit and Inciweb

Links and Background Information

• State of Emergency Declared for Mariposa County, CA August 30, 2013
• RIM FIRE Becomes 5th Largest in Calif. History August 30, 2013

State of Emergency Declared for Mariposa County, CA

Rim Fire Prompts Emergency Proclamation for Mariposa County

California’s acting governor has issued an Emergency Proclamation for Mariposa County due to the effects of the Rim Fire.

A state of emergency was declared because the RIM FIRE wildfire is “damaging public and district facilities, including roads and structures… and threatening residences in Mariposa County, necessitating the evacuation of residents, and the opening of emergency shelters… the circumstances of this wildfire, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county, and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat … I find that conditions of extreme peril  to the safety of persons and property exist within Mariposa County due to these events,” according to the Proclamation.

On August 27, 2013, Mariposa County declared a local emergency and requested that the Governor proclaim a state of emergency.

Meantime, the monster fire continued to grow despite cooler temperatures and lighter winds.

Since erupting on August 17, Rim Fire has devoured nearly 202,000 acres, or more than 315 square miles, mostly in the Stanislaus National Forest west of the Yosemite National Park. The ferocious fire is now the 5th largest in California history.

At least 4,931 personnel are struggling to stop the massive fire from further encroaching into the park, where it has already burned at least 45,000 acres.

Rim Fire Wildfire – Fire Runs Upslope on South Flank, 8/29. Credit: USFS – Mike McMillan

Nightfire Along Road 20. Credit: USFS – Mike McMillan

Rim Fire Incident Information:

• Last Updated: August 30, 2013 @ 06:30 PDT
• Date/Time Started: August 17, 2013 3:25 pm
• Administrative Unit: Stanislaus National Forest / CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit
• Location: 3 miles east of Groveland along Hwy 120
• Acres Burned – Containment: 201,894 acres – 32% contained
• Structures Threatened: 5,506 (4,500 residences, 1,000 outbuildings, 6 commercial)

• Structures Destroyed: 111 (11 residences, 97 outbuildings, 3 commercial)

• Fire is expected to continue its eastward spread farther into the west side of Yosemite National Park, east of Aspen Valley. Several residents remain under mandatory evacuation in the Scotts Ridge area south of HWY 120.

Evacuations:

• A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for residences north of Old Yosemite Road (Forest Road 2S01). Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated. [Evacuation centers are at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora and at the Greeley Hill Community Center.]

• 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 evacuation advisory remains in effect for Ponderosa Hills and areas east, along the south side of Highway 108 up to Pinecrest.

• The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department has lifted the evacuation advisory for Tuolumne City, Soulsbyville and Willow Springs.

Road Closures :

• Highway 120 remains closed from Buck Meadows to 1 ½ miles east of White Wolf.

Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite National Park has closed Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds, both located along the Tioga Road. White Wolf Campground and White Wolf Lodge remain closed. I
• The Stanislaus National Forest has issued an area closure for the entire Groveland Ranger District and for the Mi-Wok Ranger District east of Highway 108.

The Strawberry Music Festival, an annual bluegrass jamboree held at Camp Mather, has been cancelled because the site has been closed, according to reports.

FIRE Stats

• Total Fire Personnel: 4,931
• Total Fire Engines: 525
• Total Fire crews: 105
• Total Helicopters: 26
• Total Dozers: 85
• Total Water Tenders: 55

• Injuries: 4
• Cause: Under Investigation

Current Weather

• Wind Conditions 5 mph NE
• Temperature 67 degrees
• Humidity 40%

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE Becomes 5th Largest in Calif. History August 30, 2013

RIM FIRE Becomes 5th Largest in Calif. History

Monster Fire continues to grow despite cooler temperatures, lighter winds

Since erupting on August 17, Rim Fire has devoured about 200,000 acres, or more than 312 square miles, mostly in the Stanislaus National Forest west of the Yosemite National Park. The ferocious fire is now the 5th largest in California history.

At least 4,927  personnel are struggling to stop the massive fire from further encroaching into the park, where it has already burned at least 45,000 acres.

RIM FIRE Wildfire. View From Pilot Peak Lookout. Photo credit: USFS/Mike McMillan

Rim Fire Incident Information:

• Last Updated: August 29, 2013 7:30 PDT
• Date/Time Started: August 17, 2013 3:25 pm
• Administrative Unit: Stanislaus National Forest / CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit
• Location: 3 miles east of Groveland along Hwy 120
• Acres Burned – Containment: 199,237 acres – 32% contained
• Structures Threatened: 5,506 (4,500 residences, 1,000 outbuildings, 6 commercial)

• Structures Destroyed: 111 (11 residences, 97 outbuildings, 3 commercial)

• Fire is expected to continue its eastward spread farther into the west side of Yosemite National Park, east of Aspen Valley. Several residents remain under mandatory evacuation in the Scotts Ridge area south of HWY 120.

Evacuations:

• A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for residences north of Old Yosemite Road (Forest Road 2S01). Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated. [Evacuation centers are at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora and at the Greeley Hill Community Center.]
• 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 evacuation advisory remains in effect for Ponderosa Hills and areas east, along the south side of Highway 108 up to Pinecrest.
• The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department has lifted the evacuation advisory for Tuolumne City, Soulsbyville and Willow Springs.

Road Closures :

• Highway 120 remains closed from Buck Meadows to 1 ½ miles east of White Wolf.

Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite National Park has closed Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds, both located along the Tioga Road. White Wolf Campground and White Wolf Lodge remain closed. I
• The Stanislaus National Forest has issued an area closure for the entire Groveland Ranger District and for the Mi-Wok Ranger District east of Highway 108.

The Strawberry Music Festival, an annual bluegrass jamboree held at Camp Mather, has been cancelled because the site has been closed, according to reports.

FIRE Stats

• Total Fire Personnel: 4,927
• Total Fire Engines: 540
• Total Fire crews: 104
• Total Helicopters: 23
• Total Dozers: 83
• Total Water Tenders: 53
• Injuries: 4
• Cause: Under Investigation

Current Weather

• Wind Conditions 15 mph SW
• Temperature 87 degrees
• Humidity 23%

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE Now 6th Largest in Calif. History August 29, 2013
• RIM FIRE Reaches Hetch Hetchy Reservoir August 28, 2013
• RIM FIRE Balloons to 288mi²  August 28, 2013
• RIM FIRE Spreads to about 180,000 Acres August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE Raining Ash on Key SF Reservoir August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP  August 26, 2013
• 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

RIM FIRE Now 6th Largest in Calif. History

RIM FIRE spreads to 192,466 acres

The massive blaze grew by an estimated 5,000 acres since this morning to a total of at least 192,466 acres (300mi², or 779km²), climbing to the 6th position on the Top 20 chart of largest California wildfires.

Burning mainly in Stanislaus National Forest, the ferocious fire has also devoured about 45,000 acres of Yosemite National Park.

The monster blaze has surrounded Cherry Lake and Lake Eleanor, a part of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir system in the northwestern backcountry of Yosemite National Park, reached the southern edge of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir late Tuesday, and is now spreading on the western side of the lake.

YNP officials closed Tioga Road, a second key route into the park on Wednesday, which “will limit the access for visitors to and from the east side of the park, quite possibly over Labor Day weekend, which will have a significant economic impact on the area and [be] an inconvenience for visitors,” said a park official.

Some 4,537 personnel have reportedly contained about 30 percent of the fire.

RIM FIRE – fire activity on the South Flank. Photo credit: USFS/Mike McMillan

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE Reaches Hetch Hetchy Reservoir August 28, 2013
• RIM FIRE Balloons to 288mi²  August 28, 2013
• RIM FIRE Spreads to about 180,000 Acres August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE Raining Ash on Key SF Reservoir August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP  August 26, 2013
• 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

RIM FIRE Balloons to 288mi²

Giant Calif. blaze rapidly spreads to 184,481 acres

The ferocious fire has extensively damaged Berkeley Tuolumne Camp and the infrastructure. Rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior are hampering suppression efforts, said USFS.

The blaze had consumed about 42,000 acres of Yosemite National Park by early Tuesday.

RIM FIRE has also damaged two of the three hydroelectric generating stations at the O’Shaughnessy Dam, which supply electricity for all of San Francisco’s public facilities. The dam impounds the Tuolumne River at the lower end of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, while the reservoir provides 85% of the water for the San Francisco Bay Area.

The monster blaze is now the 7th largest in California’s history (and climbing the chart), less than 90,000 acres behind Cedar Fire (273,246 acres), the largest fire ever recorded in California, which left 14 people dead and more than 2,820 structures destroyed in San Diego area, October 2003.

The raging fire was creeping closer to thousands of homes located west of Yosemite National Park, as of posting.

RIM FIRE Map

Official Map of RIM FIRE as of August 26, 2013 @ 06:00PDT

Fire Details

• Last Updated: August 27, 2013 18:30 PDT (UTC -7 hours)
• County: Tuolumne County, Calif.
• Location: 3 miles east of Groveland along Hwy 120
• Acres Burned – Containment: 184,481 acres – 20% contained
• Structures Threatened: 5,506 (4,500 residences, 1,000 outbuildings, 6 commercial)
• Structures Destroyed: 111 (31 residences, 80 outbuildings)
• Total Fire Personnel: 4,081
• Total Fire Engines: 491
• Total Fire crews: 68
• Total Helicopters: 17
• Total Dozers: 61
• Total Water Tenders: 46

Evacuations:

• The evacuation advisory from Tuolumne City and the area east of Highway 108 has been expanded to Pinecrest Lake. Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated.

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

• Mandatory evacuations south of Highway 120 and north of Old Yosemite Road. Structure defense is in place for this area of the fire by ground and aerial resources. An evacuation advisory has been extended on the Highway 108 corridor from Tuolumne City to Pinecrest.

• An evacuation advisory was issued from Mi-Wok to Pinecrest along the Highway 108 corridor. This advisory has been issued by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office. [An evacuation center is located at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora.]

Road Closures:

• Highway 120 remains closed to all inbound and outbound Yosemite National Park traffic to Crane Flat Campground. Highway 120 east

Forest closures:

• A Forest Closure is in effect for locations near and in advance of the fire. Several locations on the west side of Yosemite National Park have had closures implemented as a result of the fires spread. Contingency planning, indirect line construction and preparation to the east of Highway 108.

• The Stanislaus National Forest has issued an area closure for the entire Groveland Ranger District and for the Mi-Wok Ranger District east of Highway 108.

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE Spreads to about 180,000 Acres August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE Raining Ash on Key SF Reservoir August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP  August 26, 2013
• 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

RIM FIRE Spreads to about 180,000 Acres

Ferocious fire becomes 7th largest in California history

Rim Fire wildfire consumed an additional 20,000 acres (~12.5%) overnight, charring a total of at least 179,481 acres (280mi², or 726km²) by 07:30 PDT (UTC -7 hours) on Tuesday, reported Cal Fire.

The massive fire spread further east and north overnight, pushing deeper into Yosemite National Park. The eastern flank of the blaze has now burned to within a few hundred yards of Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies most of San Francisco’s water.

The monster blaze is now the 7th largest in California’s history (and climbing the chart), less than 94,000 acres behind Cedar Fire (273,246 acres), the largest fire ever recorded in California, which left 14 people dead and more than 2,820 structures destroyed in San Diego area, October 2003.

Seventeen of the the top 20 wildfires in California have occurred since 1985.

RIM FIRE has already destroyed 111 (31 residences, 80 outbuildings), according to Cal Fire.

However, an earlier news bulletin by Reuters said the blaze had destroyed homes and “1,000 outbuildings…“

Rim Fire Incident Information

• Last Updated: August 27, 2013 7:30 am
• Date/Time Started: August 17, 2013 3:25 pm
• Administrative Unit: Stanislaus National Forest / CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit
• County: Tuolumne County, California
• Location: 3 miles east of Groveland along Hwy 120
• Acres Burned: 179,481 acres (Containment: 20% contained)
• Structures Threatened: 5,506 (4,500 residences, 1,000 outbuildings, 6 commercial)
• Structures Destroyed: 111 (31 residences, 80 outbuildings)
• Injuries: 3
• Cause: Under Investigation

Official Map of RIM FIRE as of August 26, 2013 @ 6:00am

Evacuations

• The evacuation advisory from Tuolumne City and the area east of Highway 108 has been expanded to Pinecrest Lake. Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated.
• A Mandatory Evacuation has been issued for residences north of Old Yosemite Road (Forest Road 2S01), and 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.
• An evacuation advisory issued from Mi-Wok to Pinecrest along the Highway 108 corridor. This advisory has been issued by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office. (An evacuation center is located at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora.)

Road Closures

• Highway 120 remains closed to all inbound and outbound Yosemite National Park traffic to Crane Flat Campground. Highway 120 east
• The Stanislaus National Forest has issued an area closure for the entire Groveland Ranger District and for the Mi-Wok Ranger District east of Highway 108.

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE Raining Ash on Key SF Reservoir August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP  August 26, 2013
• 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

RIM FIRE Raining Ash on Key SF Reservoir

Explosive blaze devours at least 160,980 acres (251.53mi²)

Rim Fire is burning less than a mile from Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy reservoir on the Tuolumne River, raining ash on San Francisco’s main water source.

The massive fire had blackened at least 22,000 acres within YNP as of Monday morning, forcing the closure of Highway 120, the main road leading into the park from the San Francisco Bay area, and prompting evacuation of the remainder of 74 campsites in the park’s White Wolf area, officials said.

Although the fallout of ash and soot has not yet significantly deteriorated the Hetch Hetchy’s water quality, officials fear winter rains could cause runoff of debris and topsoil, which is stripped of vegetation by the blaze, severely affecting the reservoir.

“When you burn down everything, you’ve got a moonscape out there when floods can contaminate the water,” said California Gov. Brown on Monday during a visit to the fire zone. Brown declared a state of emergency for City and County of San Francisco on Friday due to threats to the city’s electricity and water supplies.

RIM FIRE Map as of August 26, 2013 @ 6:00am

• RIM FIRE became 11th largest wildfire in California history, as of Monday morning, and climbing.

• At least 30 ACTIVE fires, larger than 100 acres, have been burning about 345,000 acres across California since late June.

• Rime Fire is one of about 5 dozen major fires currently burning across the western U.S.

• Drought, high temperatures and insect-damaged forests have fueled about 6,000 wildfires across the region, so far this season.

RIM FIRE: Basic Information
Last Updated: August 26, 2013 6:30 pm [CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit]
Date/Time Started: August 17, 2013 3:25 pm
County: Tuolumne County
Location: 3 miles east of Groveland along Hwy 120
Acres Burned – Containment: 160,980 acres – 20% contained
Structures Threatened: 4,500
Structures Destroyed: 23 [About 1,000 outbuildings have also been destroyed. REUTERS]
Total Fire Personnel: 3,752
Total Fire Engines: 460
Total Fire crews: 71
Total Helicopters: 15
Total Dozers: 60
Total Water Tenders: 43

Evacuations, Closures and Other Fire Info

A forest closure is in effect for locations near and in advance of the fire. Several locations on the west side of Yosemite National Park have had closures implemented as a result of the fires spread. Evacuation Advisories are still in effect for Tuolumne City and nearby areas along the Highway 108 corridor. Mandatory evacuations were issued for Old Yosemite Road. 

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.  An evacuation center is at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora.

Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated. 

The Rim incident is expected to continue to exhibit very large fire growth due to extremely dry fuels, strong winds and inaccessible terrain. Rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior and hampering suppression efforts. [Cal Fire/Inciweb]

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP  August 26, 2013

• 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