Fire Update as of August 30, 2013, 6am
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 | 4,931 |
|---|---|
| Size | 201,894 acres |
| Percent Contained | 32% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM |
| Fuels Involved | Brush, Oaks, and Pine |
| Fire Behavior | Very active fire behavior into the late evening and continued active fire behavior overnight. Torching and passive crowning with considerable amounts of spotting. Moderate fire behavior with backing fire observedd 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 today. 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. 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 its eastward spread farther into the west side of Yosemite National Park, east of Aspen Valley. 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 elecate 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. |
Current Weather
| Wind Conditions | 5 mph NE |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 67 degrees |
| Humidity | 40% |
HAVE A GREAT DAY and be safe.
Remember CHIEF FULLER DAY (10-4) and the MiWuk/Sugar Pine Fire Department Spaghetti Dinner (4-7 p.m.), both on Saturday, August 31st.
We're counting on YOU.
Support your local community, see your neighbors, and probably a few firefighters and law enforcement supporters as well.
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