| San Francisco Chronicle | - |
The
giant Rim Fire grew by more than 6,000 acres overnight, but
firefighters continued to make progress on the giant blaze burning in
Tuolumne and Mariposa counties, fire officials said Saturday.
Fire grows - smoke obscures Yosemite views
Victoria Colliver
Updated 8:12 pm, Saturday, August 31, 2013
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The Bureau of Land Management Silver State hotshot crew fights the southern flank of the Rim Fire. Containment increased to 35 percent, but the 2-week-old blaze grew rapidly. Photo: Mike McMillan, Associated Press
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(08-31) 20:09 PDT Yosemite National Park --
The giant Rim Fire grew by more than 6,000 acres overnight, but
firefighters continued to make progress on the giant blaze burning in
Tuolumne and Mariposa counties, fire officials said Saturday.
The expansion forced more evacuations in the southeast portion of Mariposa County, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant. The combination of dry conditions, the remote location and 20 mph winds continued to fuel the fire's expansion, he said.
Smoke from the fire has obscured Yosemite Valley for the first time since the blaze began on Aug. 17, a Yosemite National Park official said Saturday.
"All the normal views you can see are obscured by smoke. You can't see Half Dome, you can't see Glacier Point, you can't see where Yosemite Falls should be," said Kari Cobb, a park spokeswoman.
About 20 percent of the Rim Fire falls within the boundaries of the more than 60,000-acre national park and about 8 percent of the park has burned. Still, Yosemite remains open during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Cobb said some visitors have canceled their camping reservations, but a waiting list for those campgrounds remains. "We are putting air quality advisories out, letting people know the smoke is impacting the park and that they should avoid any strenuous activities," she said.
Containment increased to 40 percent Saturday from 32 percent a day earlier. The fire is expected to burn for several more weeks before it's fully contained. "Even with the growth, we continued to make progress for containment," Berlant said.
The 2-week-old fire has consumed 219,277 acres, or nearly 343 square miles, as of Saturday, making it the fifth largest fire in California history.
At least a half dozen major wildfires are burning throughout the state.
With the increased number of barbecues and campers over the Labor Day weekend holiday, people need to be even more vigilant about fire safety.
"If we can get residents and visitors to create one less spark, we can create one less fire," Berlant said.
The National Weather Service is predicting slightly increased moisture in the air over the next couple of days and cooler conditions. "It's not going to do a whole lot to help, but it's definitely better than a dryer pattern," said meteorologist Roger Gass.
The expansion forced more evacuations in the southeast portion of Mariposa County, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant. The combination of dry conditions, the remote location and 20 mph winds continued to fuel the fire's expansion, he said.
Views obscured
Highway 120 is closed throughout the affected area, according to the Sheriff's Office. Yosemite Valley remains open and is accessible via Highway 140 from Merced and Highway 41 from Fresno.Smoke from the fire has obscured Yosemite Valley for the first time since the blaze began on Aug. 17, a Yosemite National Park official said Saturday.
"All the normal views you can see are obscured by smoke. You can't see Half Dome, you can't see Glacier Point, you can't see where Yosemite Falls should be," said Kari Cobb, a park spokeswoman.
About 20 percent of the Rim Fire falls within the boundaries of the more than 60,000-acre national park and about 8 percent of the park has burned. Still, Yosemite remains open during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Cobb said some visitors have canceled their camping reservations, but a waiting list for those campgrounds remains. "We are putting air quality advisories out, letting people know the smoke is impacting the park and that they should avoid any strenuous activities," she said.
Record burn
Nearly 5,000 firefighters continue to battle the Rim Fire, which started in a remote section of the Stanislaus National Forest near the town of Groveland.Containment increased to 40 percent Saturday from 32 percent a day earlier. The fire is expected to burn for several more weeks before it's fully contained. "Even with the growth, we continued to make progress for containment," Berlant said.
The 2-week-old fire has consumed 219,277 acres, or nearly 343 square miles, as of Saturday, making it the fifth largest fire in California history.
Vigilance needed
The fire could move up to the No. 4 spot soon. "It continues to be a very large fire that continues to burn further into the record books," Berlant said.At least a half dozen major wildfires are burning throughout the state.
With the increased number of barbecues and campers over the Labor Day weekend holiday, people need to be even more vigilant about fire safety.
"If we can get residents and visitors to create one less spark, we can create one less fire," Berlant said.
The National Weather Service is predicting slightly increased moisture in the air over the next couple of days and cooler conditions. "It's not going to do a whole lot to help, but it's definitely better than a dryer pattern," said meteorologist Roger Gass.
Victoria Colliver is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vcolliver@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @vcolliver
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