Fire Update as of August 26, 2013
As of 8.27.2013 the Rim Fire is compared to the South Bay area
The Incident Information System was updated late last evening with this following information. We will continue to share more information as it becomes available. Contrary to some information, Camp Mather has escaped damage thanks to the vigilant work of crews fighting this beast. Sadly the Berkeley Family Camp did not fair as well and was lost.
Here is an excellent video of collection of clips shot from a UH-60 Black Hawk from the California Army National Guard’s 1-140th Aviation Battalion (Air Assault), based out of Los Alamitos, dropping water from a Bambi bucket on the Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest near the town of Columbia, Calif., Aug. 21, 2013. The aircraft is piloted by Chief Warrant Officer Four Rob Metoyer, co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer Two Mike Marion, and crew chief, Spc. Gregory Davis, with CAL FIRE Military Helicopter Manager, Battalion Chief Scott Watson and Capt. Brad Loven calling the drops. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Flagg/Released)
From The Incident Information System:
Fire crews had their hands full with very active fire behavior today. Near Duckwall Ridge, the fire spotted across the line with crews working to control the spot. The fire also crossed the 3N01 road in Reynolds Creek, prompting an expansion of the evacuation advisory in the Highway 108 corridor. Fire crews also were working to contain a spot fire in the southeast portion of the fire as it crossed to the south of Highway 120 at Ackerson Flat. Firefighters were successful in completing dozer line below Pilot Ridge, effectively slowing the fires spread in this location. Tonight crews will continue to work the three spot fires, as well as continue construction on contingency lines and provide structure protection throughout the fire.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Under Investigation |
| Date of Origin | Saturday August 17th, 2013 approx. 03:15 PM |
| Location | Groveland Range District, Stanislaus NF |
| Incident Commander | Wilkins/lawshe |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 3,678 |
|---|---|
| Size | 160,980 acres |
| Percent Contained | 20% |
| Fuels Involved | Brush, Oaks, and Pine |
| Fire Behavior | Fire became very active early in the day. Very fast running surface fire quickly transitioned into sustained crown runs and long range spotting on the fires eastern and southeastern perimeters located inside as well as advancing towards Yosemite National Park. Fire activity was moderate over the Southwest and western perimeters. Fire became fairly active in the early afternoon along the northern perimeter with spot fires challenging suppression resources and requiring heavy support from aerial resources. |
| Significant Events | 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. 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. Contingency planning, indirect line construction and preparation to the east of Highway 108. Access and difficult terrain remain concerns for crews and equipment. Good progress was made with constructing and securing lines along the southwestern edge of the fire. Good progress is being achieved with construction of contingency control lines along the northeastern edge of the fire. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Continued line construction where accessibility and safety allows. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Extreme |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Remarks | The Rim incident is exhibited large fire growth today. Rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior and hampering suppression efforts. Significant utilization and reliance upon aerial resources with heavy air tankers including MAFFs and DC-10 air tankers is occurring with structure defense, prep of locations in advance of the fires spread, control of spot fires and slowing the fires advancement through inaccessible terrain to ground resources to allow time for indirect line construction to be completed. Type 1 helicopters are providing point protection and cooling areas where direct line construction can be achieved safely.The extremely dry fuels, high winds and potential for long-range spotting remains a significant concern. Heavy reliance on aviation resources has been critical in an effort to slow the fires progress and allow suppression resources to establish indirect control lines in areas where accessibility and safety can be achieved. The availability of heavy aircraft is pertinent to the success of suppression efforts. |
Current Weather
| Wind Conditions | 15 mph SW |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 61 degrees |
| Humidity | 60% |