Rim Fire - Tuesday Update: Firefighters Make Progess, Containment Stays at 20 Percent

A portion of Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park will be closed temporarily starting at noon Wednesday, as firefighters will be focusing on that area. Park officials anticipat the road will be closed at least through the Labor Day weekend.

The full release:

A portion of the Tioga Road, from Crane Flat to White Wolf, will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, August 28, 2013, at 12:00 noon.  The closure is necessary for firefighters to perform fire suppression activities along the road.  This portion of the road is anticipated to be closed at least through Labor Day Weekend.  The park will issue an update as conditions allow for the reopening of the road. 

“The work that will be performed over the next few days is instrumental in suppressing the Rim Fire within Yosemite.  The safety of the firefighters working along the road is our paramount concern,” stated park Superintendent Don Neubacher.  

Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds, both located along the Tioga Road within the closure, will remain closed during the fire suppression efforts.  White Wolf Campground and White Wolf Lodge will remain closed.  The Tioga Road will remain open east of White Wolf to the Tioga Pass Entrance.  The Porcupine Flat Campground, the Tuolumne Meadows Campground, and all visitor services within Tuolumne Meadows will remain open. 

Highway 41, from the southern portion of the park, and Highway 140, from the western portion of the park, will remain open.  Both of these roads provide access to Yosemite Valley.

A fund to help the park restore trails, facilities, and wildlife habitat has been established by the Yosemite Conservancy.  People wishing to contribute to the fund can donate online at yosemiteconservancy.org/fire.  People can also donate via mail by sending donations to Yosemite Conservancy 101 Montgomery, Suite 1700 San Francisco, CA 95104.

For up-to-date Yosemite information regarding the Rim Fire, please visit the park’s website at: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/rimfire.htm. 

 

The National Weather Service is reporting that visibility at the South Lake Tahoe Airport has been reduced to 0.75 miles, as smoke from the Rim Fire is blanketing the region. 

For the latest air quality update, follow these links:

A series of NASA satellite images showing the growth of the Rim Fire. The outline is Yosemite National Park. Images were made on four consecutive nights. (NASA Earth Observatory)

Update: 10 a.m. - Fire Grows Another 20,000 Acres Overnight

The Rim Fire grew to 179,481 acres overnight, as crews continue to construct lines throughout the fire. Containment is 20 percent, with 3,752 personnel working the incident. 

Update: 7:12 a.m. - Evacuation Areas Expand as Fire Keeps Growing

The Rim Fire grew by more than 10,000 acres Monday, jumping across roads and prompting officials to expand mandatory and advisory evacuation areas. Air tankers and helicopters are proving to be the most effective tools in slowing the fire, but dry fuels and heavy winds are keeping the fire moving in several directions.

Mandatory evacuations are in place south of Highway 120 and north of Old Yosemite Road. An evacuation advisory has been extended on the Highway 108 corridor. The new evacuation advisory is from Long Barn to Pinecrest.

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.

Ground crews are attacking spot fires and building fire lines in several areas of the fire. The blaze grew to 160,980 acres, with about 21,000 acres - about 34 square miles - of that inside Yosemite National Park. The fire is now 20 percent contained, with 3,678 people assigned to the incident.

Weather conditions have been a challenge for firefighters. “With the weather, the dry fuels, spot fires are starting up to a mile away from the main fire front as embers are blown in the wind across those lines.,” says Bjorn Fredrickson of the U.S. Forest Service.

The dificult and dangerous terrain is also a concern. After the deaths of 19 firefighters in Arizona this summer, Groveland District Ranger Maggie Dowd says crews are exercising extreme caution.

“This canyon has taken some lives in the past. And it’s just amazing right now that we have this safety record. We’ve had some minor injuries – a dislocated shoulder, otherwise poison oak, bee stings. Knock on wood,” she says.

Meanwhile, officials say they expect no water or power disruptions from ash raining on the main reservoir that supplies San Francisco. While flames reached the edge of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, crews are confident they’ll be able to protect the infrastructure.

The Rim Fire began ten days ago, and the White House has promised to help pay for the cost of fighting the fire.