Post by coolplanet on Aug 23, 2013 16:20:23 GMT -5
Raging, fast-moving California wildfire threatens Yosemite National Park
By Matthew DeLuca | August 23, 2013
usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20152653-raging-fast-moving-california-wildfire-threatens-yosemite-national-park?lite
An out-of-control wildfire leapt across the boundaries of Yosemite National Park on Friday as nearly 2,000 fire personnel worked to contain the Northern California blaze, the latest of the major wildfires to sweep the country in recent weeks.
The Rim Fire had burned more than 105,620 acres by Friday morning, nearly doubling in size overnight. The fire has destroyed nine structures and caused one injury as it burned in Stanislaus National Forest, according to an incident report. With more than 1,800 responders battling the blaze, the fire stood just 1 percent contained.
There is currently not a threat to Yosemite Valley, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Bjorn Frederickson said on Friday, according to NBC Bay Area. The fire burned within the borders of the park in an area around Lake Eleanor, he said.
The fire licked the western boundaries of Yosemite National Park on Thursday and swept away gains firefighters had made to bring the fire to 5 percent containment on Wednesday.
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Tuolumne County on Thursday, as costs fighting the fire hit $5.4 million. The rugged terrain consumed by the fire made it difficult for firefighters to drag in their gear, a Forest Service spokesman said.
“The terrain is so difficult that you can’t go into direct attack,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Trevor Augustino said, according to Reuters.
Crews facing the sprawling flames faced smoke exposure and the potential for injury as the fire skipped across the steep territory, according to an incident report.
“The biggest challenge is the fire itself,” Lee Bentley, a spokesperson with the forest service, told NBC Bay Area. “It’s just too doggone dangerous.”
A meeting of the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors gathered for an emergency meeting on Wednesday, and said in a resolution that the fire “is now directly threatening various communities and businesses within the County and is beyond our capabilities,” according to local newspaper the Modesto Bee.
The quick-spreading fire is the fourth-largest in the nation, National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman Robyn Broyles told Reuters, one of 50 large blazes burning in the western states. The Rim Fire has grown faster than any other, she said.
Among the buildings destroyed were two homes, Reuters reported. Two evacuation centers have been set up, Augustino told Reuters, as residents in about 2,500 homes had been advised to evacuate.
“There are a lot of little pockets of residences throughout this area,” Augustino said, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the massive Beaver Creek Fire in Idaho was nearly contained, but not before it drove tourists from the ski retreat town of Sun Valley, the AP reported.
“We have a lot of customers who can go anywhere they want to,” said Todd Van Bramer, a resident of nearby Ketchum, Idaho, according to the AP. “They don’t have to come to Idaho if it’s burning. They can go to Montana, Colorado, or Wyoming at the drop of a hat.”
More than $1 billion has been spent overall this year fighting wildfires in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, the Associated Press reported.
By Matthew DeLuca | August 23, 2013
usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20152653-raging-fast-moving-california-wildfire-threatens-yosemite-national-park?lite
An out-of-control wildfire leapt across the boundaries of Yosemite National Park on Friday as nearly 2,000 fire personnel worked to contain the Northern California blaze, the latest of the major wildfires to sweep the country in recent weeks.
The Rim Fire had burned more than 105,620 acres by Friday morning, nearly doubling in size overnight. The fire has destroyed nine structures and caused one injury as it burned in Stanislaus National Forest, according to an incident report. With more than 1,800 responders battling the blaze, the fire stood just 1 percent contained.
There is currently not a threat to Yosemite Valley, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Bjorn Frederickson said on Friday, according to NBC Bay Area. The fire burned within the borders of the park in an area around Lake Eleanor, he said.
The fire licked the western boundaries of Yosemite National Park on Thursday and swept away gains firefighters had made to bring the fire to 5 percent containment on Wednesday.
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Tuolumne County on Thursday, as costs fighting the fire hit $5.4 million. The rugged terrain consumed by the fire made it difficult for firefighters to drag in their gear, a Forest Service spokesman said.
“The terrain is so difficult that you can’t go into direct attack,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Trevor Augustino said, according to Reuters.
Crews facing the sprawling flames faced smoke exposure and the potential for injury as the fire skipped across the steep territory, according to an incident report.
“The biggest challenge is the fire itself,” Lee Bentley, a spokesperson with the forest service, told NBC Bay Area. “It’s just too doggone dangerous.”
A meeting of the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors gathered for an emergency meeting on Wednesday, and said in a resolution that the fire “is now directly threatening various communities and businesses within the County and is beyond our capabilities,” according to local newspaper the Modesto Bee.
The quick-spreading fire is the fourth-largest in the nation, National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman Robyn Broyles told Reuters, one of 50 large blazes burning in the western states. The Rim Fire has grown faster than any other, she said.
Among the buildings destroyed were two homes, Reuters reported. Two evacuation centers have been set up, Augustino told Reuters, as residents in about 2,500 homes had been advised to evacuate.
“There are a lot of little pockets of residences throughout this area,” Augustino said, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the massive Beaver Creek Fire in Idaho was nearly contained, but not before it drove tourists from the ski retreat town of Sun Valley, the AP reported.
“We have a lot of customers who can go anywhere they want to,” said Todd Van Bramer, a resident of nearby Ketchum, Idaho, according to the AP. “They don’t have to come to Idaho if it’s burning. They can go to Montana, Colorado, or Wyoming at the drop of a hat.”
More than $1 billion has been spent overall this year fighting wildfires in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, the Associated Press reported.
