Inferno burns on
Painting by MiWuk area artist PHIL VANCE
The Rim Fire, which started for reasons unknown at this time, is only 35% contained after blazing since the afternoon of August 17th and consuming 213,414 acres, has demanded a total of 4,844 personnel. This update below was released from the Incident Information System at 9pm this evening and states the current temp is 89* with SW winds at 15mph and a low humidity of 21%. Evacuation has not been updated since yesterday and that information can be found at the bottom of this report.
As of 6am this morning reports showed:The burnout operations continued overnight in the southeastern area of the fire. Fire crews continued construction of fire line along 3N01 Road to stop fire spread to the north. Structure defense continues in Pinecrest, Mi-Wuk Vilalge, Confidence, Cold Springs, and Hodgdon Meadow, and Big Oak Flat in Yosemite National Park. Today’s plans are to continue the burnout in the Yosemite National Park south of Hetch Hetchy. If conditions allow, the Duckwall Mountain north of Fahey Meadow burnout will start. Air operations will support all firefighting efforts as needed.
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 | 4,844 |
|---|---|
| Size | 213,414 acres |
| Percent Contained | 35% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM |
| Fuels Involved | Brush, Oaks, and Pine |
| 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. |
| Significant Events | Mandatory evacuations continue South of HWY 120 on the south eastern edge of the fire and towards Yosemite National Park North of the Old Yosemite Road. Closure of Tioga Road West of Yosemite Creek Picnic Area. Structure defense around Aspen Valley by ground and aerial resources was occurring in the afternoon. Evacuation advisories in Tuolumne City, Soulsbyville, and Willow Springs were lifted on Thursday, August 29th. The evacuation advisory remains in effect for Ponderosa Hills and areas east, along the south side of Highway 108 up 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. Contingency planning, indirect line construction and preparation to the east of Highway 108. Access and difficult terrain remain concerns for crews and equipment. Burnout operations were initiated South of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir inside Yosemite National Park. Burnout operations were completed between Big Oak Station to Hazel Green Ranch. Burnout operations were initiated between Hells Mountain to Clavey Meadow. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Burnout operations will continue South of HWY 120 on the southeastern edge of the fire from Pilot Ridge to Big Oak Flat Entrance Station. Continued direct and indirect line construction will take place, accompanied by burnout operations where accessibility and safety allow along the northern and eastern edges of the fire. Burnout operations planned in the Hull Creek Drainage. There will be continued contingency line construction in advance of the communities of Tuolumne City, Twain Harte, and Long Barn. Mopup and and contingency line construction will take place on the western and southern edges of the fire. Continued construction and improvement of contingency lines along Dodge Ridge will happen. A burnout operation is planned for the eastern edge of the fire in Yosemite National Park between Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Harden Lake when conditions become favorable. There will also be burnout operations on the northern edge of the fire between Hells Mountain and Clavey Meadows. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Extreme |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Remarks | Rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior continue to hamper suppression efforts. A significant utilization and reliance upon aerial resources with heavy air tankers including the VLAT DC-10 and MAFFS is occurring with reinforcement of control lines in advance of the fire’s spread, control of spot fires, and slowing the fire’s advancement through terrain inaccessible 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. Approximately 4,500 structures remain threatened in advance of the fire on both the east and west sides. Fire is expected to continue progressing eastward approaching Tioga Road in zyosemite National Park. Several residents remain under mandatory evacuation in the Scotts Ridge area south of HWY 120.Due to inaccessible steep terrain and extreme fire behavior suppression efforts on active portions of the fire are being significantly challenged. Heavy reliance on aviation resources has been critical in an effort to slow the fire’s progress to 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.Continued warmer and drier weather is forecasted for the next several days, which will elevate control concerns and slow burnout progress. Remotely piloted aircraft is providing realtime visual and infrared intelligence on the fire. Continued unified command with CAL FIRE. |
Evacuation Update 8/29/2013
Incident: Rim Fire Wildfire
Released: 1 day ago
Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office
PIO: Scott Johnson # 1360
Evacuation Update Date: 8/29/13
Effective today, 8/29/13 at 12:00 P.M. the Tuolumne City Evacuation Advisory will be lifted. There will be periodic road closures within Tuolumne City due to emergency operations. Also effective today, at 4:30 P.M, the evacuation advisory for the areas of Soulsbyville and Willow Springs will be lifted. We request that residents remain vigilant and continue to monitor local radio stations if conditions change.
The evacuation advisory remains in effect for Ponderosa Hills and areas east, along the south side of Highway 108 up to Pinecrest.
Access to Ponderosa Hills remains restricted to residents and emergency services.
The road closure at Buchanan/Cottonwood and Sunrise Drive remains in effect.
We ask that all drivers use caution in these areas due to the large amount of emergency services traffic.