RIM FIRE UPDATE, September 30th , 8:44 a.m.

September 30, 2013    08:44 am   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director 

 

Tuolumne County, CA -- Officials are now projecting full containment of the Rim Fire by October 6th. 

287 firefighters are on scene this morning, and the fire is listed as 92% contained and 257,135 acres. Crews will continue to repair suppression lines this week and monitor for hot spots. No structures are considered threatened. 98 outbuildings were destroyed by the fire, 11 homes and three commercial buildings. There have been 10 injuries to firefighters.


The Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Auxiliary will be offering a fabulous tee-shirt in a few weeks.  The photo on the tee was taken by a firefighter from Oakland, whose strike team was assigned up the hill in the Long Barn area.  STAND BY.  :)

RIM FIRE UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2013, 6.45 A.M. GOOD HIGH HUMIDITY TODAY

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,321
Size	256,895 acres
Percent Contained	84%
Estimated Containment Date	Tuesday October 01st, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior observed last night was limited to creeping and smoldering

Outlook

Planned Actions	Resources will continue to patrol all areas of the fire perimeter. Suppression repair plan is on going.
Growth Potential	Medium
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	15 mph SW
Temperature	52-68 degrees
Humidity	75-50%

RIM FIRE INCIDENT OVERVIEW, September 20, 2013 6:15 p.m.

Incident Overview

Image options: [ Enlarge ] [ Full Size ]

Fire Update 

The estimated date for containment has been revised to October 1st 2013. The fire continues to creep and smolder in the Emigrant and Yosemite Wilderness. A Red Flag Warning will be in effect through to midday Saturday.

Fire crews will continue mop-up and patrol of fire lines with the objective of keeping fire within existing containment lines and natural barriers. The fire will continue to spread slowly in rocky areas within the Yosemite and Emigrant Wilderness Areas east of Cherry Lake and north of Hetch Hetchy reservoir. Suppression repair continues and repairs to-date include 68 miles of dozer line 3 miles of hand-line 52 miles of chipping along roads and 21 miles of road repair. A total of 133 miles of suppression line repair remain. For a Google map tour with post-fire photographs go to http://tinyurl.com/rimfirekmz

Public Safety
Anyone traveling on roads within the fire area should use extreme caution as fire personnel and equipment continue to work in the area. Hazards include smoke weakened trees and snags (that may fall) and hot burning stump holes. If you must drive through the fire area please do not stop leave the roadway or enter the burned area on foot.

Park and Forest Closures
Hetch Hetchy and Aspen Valley in Yosemite Park are closed to public access due to hazardous trees. Tuolumne Grove and Hodgdon Meadow Campground remain closed due to the fire. Yosemite Creek and White Wolf Campgrounds and White Wolf Lodge are closed for the season. The Stanislaus National Forest issued an updated Rim Fire Area Closure (dated September 12 2013) for the Groveland and Mi-Wok Ranger Districts. Additional information is available from the Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor's Office 209-532-3671; Mi-Wok Ranger Station 209-586-3234; Summit Ranger Station 209-965-3434; and Groveland Ranger Station 209-962-7825.

Road Openings and Closures
Tioga Pass Road (Hwy 120) is open across Yosemite National Park. For your safety visitors are not permitted to stop along the road adjacent to the fire perimeter. The Big Oak Flat Road is open to Yosemite Valley. Local businesses are open and providing services (gasoline food and lodging) for travelers. Evergreen Road is open only to Evergreen Lodge. Otherwise Hetch Hetchy Road and surrounding areas and facilities remain closed. Cherry Lake Road is closed at Hwy 120. Old Yosemite and Harden Flat Roads are closed. Some secondary roads within the fire area remain closed to non-residents.

There will no more 6 pm evening updates. 

For more information please contact the Rim Fire at 209-928-1053. Updated information is also available at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/.

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	Cooper

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,321
Size	256,895 acres
Percent Contained	84%
Estimated Containment Date	Tuesday October 01st, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior observed last night was limited to creeping and smoldering

Outlook

Planned Actions	No night operations
Growth Potential	Medium
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme Current Weather Wind Conditions 25 mph SW Temperature 78 degrees Humidity 16%

RIM FIRE INCIDENT OVERVIEW: WILDFIRE REHABILITATION

Incident Overview

Image options: [ Enlarge ] [ Full Size ]

THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE REHABILITATION

There are three phases of rehabilitation following wildfires on federal lands:

o Fire Suppression Repair
o Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
o Long-Term Recovery and Restoration

Fire Suppression Repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines roads trails staging areas safety zones and drop points used during fire suppression efforts.

Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety property and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first major storms. Fires result in loss of vegetation exposure of soil to erosion and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding increased sediment debris flows and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: seeding mulching installation of erosion and water run-off control structures temporary barriers to protect recovering areas and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; and prevent the spread of noxious weeds and protect critical cultural resources.

Long-Term Recovery and Restoration utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat reforestation other planting or seeding monitoring fire effects replacing burned fences interpreting cultural sites treating noxious weed infestations and installing interpretive signs.

PRETTY INTERESTING!  (The physical geography student in me just eats this stuff up!)

 

RIM POST-FIRE 'BAER' ANNOUNCEMENT - PUBLIC MTG, Sept 19, 7 p.m.

Rim BAER Public Meeting Notice -- September 19, 2013 @ 7pm

Incident: Rim Post-Fire BAER Burned Area Emergency Response
Released: 23 hrs. ago

Related Information

• BAER Public Meeting Notice 9.19.13 (PDF 197 kb)

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

Rim BAER Assessment Briefing

Thursday September 19 2013 7:00pm

WHAT: A Public Meeting to Share Rim BAER Assessment Initial Findings
SPONSORED BY: Tuolumne Co. Office of Emergency Services

WHEN: Thursday September 19 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Tuolumne County Administrative Center
Board of Supervisors Chambers
2 South Green Street
Sonora CA

RIM FIRE CLEANUP CONTINUES...........AND PHOTOS FROM TODAY, Sept. 18th, 10.28 a.m.

September 18, 2013    10:28 am   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director

Tuolumne County, CA --

The Incident Command reports that the Rim Fire is still 84% contained and nearly 257,000 acres.

Fire crews will continue to make repairs to suppression lines over the coming days and weeks. During the early stages of the Rim Fire there were several suppression lines created, as well as contingency lines. "All of that now is kind of being covered up, and the tracks are being put back, so you won't see all the nasty scars on the country," says Sean Collins, Incident Command Spokesperson. "They are also putting in water bars and drainage lines at various places to ensure that runoff will go into good forested ground."

So far, repairs have been made to 58 miles of dozer line, two miles of hand line, and 17 miles of road. Crews have also completed wood chipping on 52 miles of road. 161 miles of suppression line repairs still need to be completed.

1,406 firefighters are on scene this morning. The Rim Fire has now been transferred from a Type One Incident Management Team to a Type Two. The fire is being overseen by the South Central Sierra Incident Management Team led by David Cooper.

These photos were all taken today by Forest Service personnel.  Things are looking up for sure.

RIM FIRE GROWS SLIGHTLY Sept 17 2013, 9.09 pm

September 17, 2013    09:09 pm   Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter 

 

Tuolumne County, CA -- Rim Fire Incident Command reports winds and smoke kicked up today. The Rim Fire grew by nearly 400 acres bringing the total to 256,895 and it is still 84% contained. I.C. reports most of the growth was in the forest lands near Cherry Lake and Hetch Hetchy. They say the winds did cause more smoke in the surrounding areas of the fire.

 

September 17, 2013    08:06 pm   Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter 

 

Sonora, CA -- The Burned Area Emergency Response team or Baer team working on the soil and watershed issues posed by the Rim Fire want to hear from residents. The team will hold a public meeting this Thursday, September 19th at 7pm in the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Chambers at 2 South Green Street in Sonora. The Baer team will share their initial assessment findings and field audiences questions.

 

RIM FIRE IS TRANSITIONING TO A TYPE TWO INCIDENT, Sept 17th, 8.50 a.m.

September 17, 2013    08:50 am   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director

Tuolumne County, CA

The Rim Fire is no longer being considered a top-priority fire and will begin the transition over to a Type Two Incident Management Team today. 

FROM InciWeb.org, 8.30 a.m.:

Incident Overview

Fire Update 

The Type 1 Incident Management Team (IMT) managing the fire will begin a transition process to a Type II IMT today.  Fire crews will continue mop-up and patrol of fire lines with the objective of keeping fire within existing containment lines and natural barriers.  Structures are no longer threatened.  Cooler high temperatures in the 70s F. with 15 mph SW winds are predicted today; ridge tops may have gusts to 30 mph.  The fire will continue to spread slowly in rocky areas within the Yosemite and Emigrant Wilderness Areas east of Cherry Lake and north of Hetch Hetchy reservoir. Suppression repair continues and repairs to date include 52 miles of dozer line, 2 miles of hand line, 46 miles of chipping along roads and 14 miles of road repair. A total of 171 miles of suppression line repair remain.

For a Google map tour with post-fire photographs go to http://tinyurl.com/rimfirekmz
(nothing at that link at 11.38 a.m., Tuesday, Sept 17, 2013 -- could/should be interesting if/when they post anything!)


Current Weather:  
    Wind:  15 mph SW
    Temperature:  63 degrees
    Humidity: 68% 

RIM FIRE CURRENT CONDITIONS + MAP, September 17th

CURRENT WEATHER and STATS  in the Rim fire area:
Wind:  15 mph SW
Temperature:  63 degrees
Humidity:  68%

Total Personnel:  1,540
Size: 256,528 acres
Percent Contained:  84%

Estimated Containment Date:  Friday, September 20th, 2013 approx 12 a.m.

The red lines indicate the areas that are still uncontained. 

Let's hear it for the Rim Fire Fighters!

RIM FIRE UPDATE, Sept 16th, 6:00 p.m. (from InciWeb.org)

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,540
Size	256,169 acres
Percent Contained	84%
Estimated Containment Date	Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior observed today included surface fire with occasional torching interior of containment lines. The fire perimeter north of Hetch Hetchy reservoir and east of Cherry Lake exhibited active surface fire with occasional single and group tree torching.
Significant Events	Employees of Hetch Hetchy Water and Power were allowed to return to the residential areas at O'Shaughnessey.

Outlook

Planned Actions	There will not be a night operational period this evening.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	25 mph SW
Temperature	78 degrees
Humidity	23%				InciWeb doesn't like my signature. Can't move it down.	!

RIM FIRE - ON AGENDA AT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MTG. Sept 16th

September 16, 2013    12:19 pm   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director 

 

Sonora, CA -- The Tuolumne County Supervisors will vote on items Tuesday related to the Rim Fire.   The first is whether to continue the "Local State of Emergency." The California Emergency Services Act requires local governments to reassess emergency declarations at least every 30 days. The county declared a local State of Emergency on August 19th.

The Supervisors will also vote whether to send a letter to Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Susan Skalksi asking that timber that was burned during the fire be harvested as soon as possible.

It also calls for correspondence with the Burned Area Emergency Response Team (BAER), which is made up of 70 USFS employees working to coordinate recovery efforts in the forest.

In addition, the meeting will feature presentations about the Highway 108 Fire Safe Council activities and the Southwest Interface Team.

Tuesday's meeting begins at 9am in the Supervisors meeting room. It will be streamed live in the multimedia section of myMotherLode.com.

RIM FIRE UPDATE, Sept. 16th, 7:15 a.m.

I'm liking the numbers below and, as you must know, the fire is definitely on the wane.  I will continue to post updates that contain current or new news until it is 100% contained and OUT.  Every few days I'll also still post roadway updates.  I've become rather addicted to my daily checking and reporting.

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,791
Size	256,169 acres
Percent Contained	84%
Estimated Containment Date	Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior during the night shift hours was limited to creeping and smoldering.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Resources will continue to patrol the fire perimeter. Implementation of the Suppression Repair Plan will continue.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	29 mph SW
Temperature	78 degrees
Humidity	23%

(This blogging platform does not let me put my signature where I want it sometimes!!!)	Let's try again.................Weird!  Have a great week.

RIM FIRE 84% CONTAINED. Sept 15th, 7.16 pm

September 15, 2013    07:16 pm   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director 

 

Tuolumne County, CA -- Containment lines are holding on the 256K acre Rim Fire.

The Incident Command reports that the fire is now 84% contained and 256,169 acres. Tonight fire crews will continue to patrol all areas of the perimeter up until midnight. The IC says this will be the final night that there will be an assigned night shift on the blaze.

1,791 firefighters are currently on scene. The number will continue to fall over the coming days.

 

September 15, 2013    09:03 am   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director 

 

At its peak, over 5,000 firefighters were battling the Rim Fire, and today the number is around 1,900.

The Incident Command reports that the fire is still 81% contained this morning and 255,858 acres. 323 structures are considered threatened. Highway 120 Tioga Pass re-opened yesterday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be cooler today, but gusty winds could create additional fire activity inside the containment lines.

The IC reports that crews will continue to make repairs to suppression lines. To date, repairs have been made to 31 miles of dozer line, two miles of hand line, 36 miles of chipping along roads, and 14 miles of road repair.

Officials are still estimating full containment by September 20th.

 

FROM InciWeb.org:

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,791
Size	256,169 acres
Percent Contained	84%
Estimated Containment Date	Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior observed today included surface fire with occasional torching interior of containment lines and along the fire perimeter north of Hetch Hetchy reservoir and east of Cherry Lake.

 Current Weather

Wind Conditions	29 mph SW
Temperature	78 degrees
Humidity	23%

 Things are looking up for our side of the Rim Fire.  And yes, THANK YOU RIM FIRE HEROES!

RIM FIRE IS 81% CONTAINED, Sept 14th 8:38 p.m.

September 14, 2013    08:38 pm     Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter 

 

Tuolumne County, CA - The acreage remains the same, but the containment has gone up slightly. The Rim Fire is now 81% contained and still remains 255,858 acres or 400 square miles. The number of firefighters on the scene has dropped to 1,935 while the cost has shot up to $111.3 million. The number of structures threatened is down to 438.

Incident Command Spokesperson Linda Parker says, "The firefighters have been working and focusing their efforts in the southeast corner of the fire near Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park. Their work in patrolling and mopping up and monitoring the containment line there has raised the confidence level there that we can now consider that area to be contained."

Also at noon today (Saturday, 14 Sept),  Highway 120/Tioga Road reopened to traffic. The roadway had been shutdown from Crane Flat Road to White Wolf Road within the Park. Motorists can drive to the Yosemite Valley from Highway 395 via Highway 120. However, Park Officials say due to fire activity in the area stopping along the roadway is strictly prohibited. They warn the public to use extreme caution as firefighting activities continue in the area and visibility may be reduced due to smoke.

* * * * *
From InciWeb.org:

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	15 mph SE
Temperature	60 degrees
Humidity	50%

All other bits of information on this morning's InciWeb.org website were posted last night.  I like to check the humidity because the higher it is, the better conditions for the fire fighters.

Have a great day.  Enjoy the last full week of summer!

 

NEW MI WUK SUGAR PINE FIRE CHIEF (from mymotherlode.com), Sept 15, 2013

As reported a few days ago by your intrepid local reporter, the Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District has a new chief.  Below is this morning's article from MyMotherlode.com

 

September 15, 2013    06:00 am   Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter

Mi-Wuk Village, CA -- The interim Fire Chief takes the position full time. The Board of Directors of the Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection (District) hired Larry Crabtree to fill the vacant Fire Chief position at their board meeting this (past) week. That post was opened after Chief Randy Miller resigned in May of 2013 amid an investigation into a complaint. Crabtree says his top priorities are to get more staff, volunteers and new resources.

"The newest fire engine in our fleet is 26 years old. We are leasing one from Tuolumne County for a nominal fee, but it's not our engine and it was made in 1996. So even with that one, we are going to be in dire need of a newer one," said Crabtree. The new fire chief is looking into used engines to try to keep the price down.

Crabtree has over 33 years of experience in fire service. He served as a volunteer firefighter for a variety of departments beginning with the Upper Lake Volunteer Fire Department in 1970, and ending with his retirement from Cal Fire in 2006.

"Chief Crabtree is exactly what our community needs in a fire chief at this time." said Board President Chuck Wagner. "The skill set that he brings to the job is already bearing fruit as we all witnessed with the community meetings in Mi Wuk Village during the Rim Fire. There are more good things to come."

Crabtree has signed a five year agreement with a beginning salary of $42,000 and the last year of the contract paying $52,000.

RIM FIRE UPDATE, 22 minutes ago, September 14, 2013 - InciWeb.org

INCIDENT UPDATED 22 MIN. AGO

Approximate Location   37.857 latitude, -120.086 longitude

Special Road Update
Tioga Pass Road (Hwy 120 east) across Yosemite National Park to Tuolumne Meadows and Lee Vining (Hwy 395) opened at noon today. For safety visitors are not permitted to stop along the road adjacent the fire perimeter.

Fire Update
Today fire resources held and improved containment lines. Pockets of vegetation continued to burn within the fire’s interior. Tonight crews will continue to patrol mop-up and monitor the fire perimeter.

Public Safety
Anyone traveling on roads within the fire area should use extreme caution as fire personnel and equipment continue to work in the area. Hazards include smoke weakened trees (that may fall) and hot burning stump holes. If you must drive through the fire area please do not stop leave the roadway or enter the burned area on foot.

Park and Forest Closures
Tamarack Flat Yosemite Creek and White Wolf Campgrounds and White Wolf Lodge along Tioga Road remain closed. The Stanislaus National Forest issued an updated Rim Fire Area Closure (dated September 12 2013) for the Groveland and Mi-Wok Ranger Districts. Additional information is available from the Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor's Office 209-532-3671; Mi-Wok Ranger Station 209-586-3234; Summit Ranger Station 209-965-3434; and Groveland Ranger Station 209-962-7825.

Road Openings
Evergreen Road is open to Evergreen Lodge. Hwy 120 is open. The Big Oak Flat Road is open to Yosemite Valley. Local businesses are open and providing services (gasoline, food and lodging) for travelers.

Road Closures
Cherry Lake Road is closed at Hwy 120. Old Yosemite and Hardin Flat Roads are closed. Some secondary roads within the fire area remain closed to non-residents.   From Blythe:  I understand that some of these roads need repairs before they can be reopened to the public.

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	Mcgowan

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,935
Size	255,858 acres
Percent Contained	81%  -- it's beginning to go up.....
Estimated Containment Date	Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior consisted of surface fire with isolated torching in the north and northeast areas of the fire. Creeping and smoldering observed in other areas of the fire.
Significant Events	State Route 120 (Tioga Pass Road) was reopened to the public at noon today.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Resources will continue to patrol along the fire perimeter during the evening hours.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	O-Shaughnessey and Aspen Valley continue to be closed to public access due to a lack of power and ongoing mitigations of hazards caused by the fire. Progress is being made to mitigate these hazards and restore power. Small contingents of employees from Hetch Hetchy Power and Water have been allowed back into Mather. The pockets of unburned fuel within the perimeter of the fire area continue to consume. The Hodgdon Meadow Campground, Hodgdon Meadow residential area, Carlon Falls Trailhead, Merced Grove, Tuolumne Grove, the Crane Flat Lookout, and wilderness areas remain closed. The Big Oak Road is open from Crane Flat to Yosemite Valley. Facilities and areas along the Tioga Road west of Lukens Lake Trailhead are closed, including Tamarack Flat, White Wolf and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds, and White Wolf Lodge. Evergreen Road has been opened to Evergreen Lodge, but remains closed from there on. Old Yosemite Road, Harden, and the Cherry Creek Road remain closed. A forest closure order is in effect for locations within and proximate to the fire area. Resources continue to monitor the fire as it slowly spreads within the Yosemite Wilderness north and northeast of Lake Eleanor where fuels are limited and large natural rock barriers are abundant. Damage assessments of destroyed or damaged structures, infrastructure, and developments interior of the containment lines continues as interior fire activity subsides. Fire Suppression Repair completed to date: 31 miles of dozer line; 2 miles of handline; 36 miles of chipping along roads; and 14 miles of road repair.

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	20 mph NW
Temperature	88 degrees
Humidity	25%

Be safe everyone..........

 

STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST CLOSURE ORDER, Sept. 12, 2013

Stanislaus National Forest Closure Order September 12, 2013

Incident: Rim Fire Wildfire
Released: 2 days ago

Order No. STF 2013-11 Rim Fire Closure Stanislaus National Forest was signed and goes into effect tonight at Midnight see the attachments for the order and revised map.

.............."The Stanislaus Forest closure area includes the Forest Land within the Mi-Wok Rancher District, SouthWest of Hwy 108."  

To read the entire document you can go to http://www.inciweb.org/incident/article/3660/21494/ 

You are looking for RELATED INFORMATION, Closure order 1 of 2 and page 2 of 2.  The map above is also in that block of information.

HWY. 120 REOPENED TODAY, September 14th 1:10 p.m.

September 14, 2013    01:10 pm   Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter 

 

Yosemite, CA -- Traffic is being allowed to travel down Tioga Road once again. Yosemite National Park Officials reopened Highway 120 to all vehicles at Noon today.

The roadway was closed due to the Rim Fire. It had been shutdown from Crane Flat Road to White Wolf Road within the Park. Motorists can drive to the Yosemite Valley from Highway 395 via Highway 120.

 August 30th photo (above)

 (August 26th photo, above)

Park Officials say, due to fire activity in the area, stopping along the roadway is strictly prohibited.

They warn the public to use extreme caution as firefighting activities continue in the area and visibility may be reduced due to smoke.

RIM FIRE COST UP TO $107.8 September 13, 2013

September 13, 2013    09:16 am   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director 

 

Tuolumne County, CA -- The Incident Command says the cost to battle the Rim Fire is up to $107.8 million.

At the morning briefing officials stated that it is still 255,858 acres and 80% contained. 11 homes have been destroyed, 98 outbuildings and three commercial buildings. 2,572 firefighters are on scene today.

* * * * *

9:00 a.m. from InciWeb.org.

Fire Update
Last night fire resources were patrolling the fire looking for hotspots and continuing to hold and improve containment lines. Today crews will continue to patrol mop-up and monitor all areas along the fire perimeter. Hot and dry weather will provide conditions for continued fire spread in the Yosemite Wilderness north of Hetch Hetchy Wilderness. Unburned vegetation is expected to burn within the containment lines especially west of Harden Lake Harden Lake Road and southeast of Hetch Hetchy reservoir. Suppression repair continues on fire containment lines.

Public Safety
Anyone traveling on roads within the fire area should use extreme caution. Fire personnel and equipment continue to work in the area. Hazards include smoke weakened trees (that may fall) and hot burning stump holes. If you must drive through the fire area please do not stop leave the roadway or enter the burned area on foot.

Park and Forest Closures
Yosemite National Park has closed Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds both located along Tioga Road. White Wolf Campground and White Wolf Lodge remain closed. The Stanislaus National Forest issued an updated (September 12 2013) Rim Fire Closure for the Groveland and Mi-Wok Ranger Districts. Additional information is available from the Stanislaus Forest Supervisor's Office 209-532-3671; Mi-Wok Ranger Station (209) 586-3234; Summit Ranger Station 209-965-3434; and Groveland Ranger Station 209-962-7825.

Road Openings
Evergreen Road is opened to Evergreen Lodge. State Hwy 120 is open to Crane Flat. The Big Oak Flat Road is open from Crane Flat to Yosemite Valley. Businesses are open and providing services (gasoline food and lodging) for travelers.

Road Closures
State Route 120 (Tioga Road) remains closed from Crane Flat to 1 ó miles east of White Wolf. Park visitors can access Tuolumne Meadows from SR-395 via the park entrance at Tioga Pass. Cherry Lake Road is closed at State Route 120. Evergreen Road Old Yosemite Road and Hardin Flat Road are closed. Some secondary roads within the fire area remain closed to non-residents.

For more information or if you have questions please contact the Rim Fire at 805-727-4775. If you have questions about Yosemite National Park call 209-372-0327 or 209-372-0329. Updated information is also available at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/. All media are requested to report to the Incident Command Post to check in with Public Information Officers.

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	20 mph NE
Temperature	70 degrees
Humidity	35%

(Have a safe Friday the 13th!)

ROAD DAMAGE FROM THE RIM FIRE or WHY SOME ROADS ARE STILL CLOSED

September 12, 2013    06:00 am   Mark Truppner, MML Reporter 

 

Some Tuolumne County roads sustained damage due to the Rim Fire.

Duke York, Deputy Director of Tuolumne County Roads was Thursday's KVML "Newsmaker of the Day". He was joined by Darrin Grossi, Executive Director of the Tuolumne County Transportation Council.

Roads that were in the immediate area of the Rim Fire include Evergreen Road, Buchanan Road, Harden Flat and Ferretti Road, Aspen Valley, Kings Road, Clements Road, Golden Arrow and Fish Hatchery.
According to York, some of these roads remain closed and will not be open for quite some time.
Engineers and county road crews are assessing the damage to the surface of the road, ditches, guardrails, smashed culverts and other items.

When winter arrives, some of the creeks, streams and rivers could have a major impact to some of these local roads due to soil damage from the fire.

The dead trees near road sides, that could easily fall during winter weather, will not help matters either.

Grossi stresses the Yosemite Area Regional Transit System (YARTS) has resumed service for the next couple of weeks.   Grossi says, "Over all the twice a day YARTS service (public bus rides from various Tuolumne County locations to Yosemite National Park) is doing pretty well. As long as we have ridership, we will continue to provide the service through the end of the month. For more information click http://www.yarts.com ."

* * * * *
FROM APPROXIMATELY 6:45 A.M.:

Current Situation

Total Personnel	2,764
Size	255,560 acres
Percent Contained	80%
Estimated Containment Date	Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior consisted of surface fire with slow rates of spread in the north and northeast areas of the fire. In the remaining areas of the fire creeping and smoldering were observed.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Resources will continue to patrol, mop-up, and monitor all areas of the fire in addition to patrolling the developed areas interior of the fire perimeter and those adjacent to the fire area. Implementation of the Suppression Repair Plan will continue.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme Current Weather Wind Conditions 15 mph NE Temperature 50 degrees Humidity 35%

RIM FIRE UPDATE: Sept. 11th, 7:45 p.m.

September 11, 2013    07:45 pm   Tracey Petersen, MML News Reporter 

 

Tuolumne County, CA - The Incident Command says a lot of areas in the perimeter are cold and cooler temperatures are helping firefighters. Tonight's temperatures will be in the 50's.

The fire has grown about 400 acres to 255,560 or 399 square miles and is still 80% contained. The number of firefighters went up slightly to 2,764,  due to a shift change. The cost is now $105 million.

Incident Command Spokesperson Michelle Jimeneza-Holtz says, "Firefighters continued repairing and mop up the northwest and south perimeters. In a lot of areas, the ground is cold now so that is awesome. They are going to continue to do some repair and rehab tonight."

Fire Officials say today's fire behavior was minimal to moderate in interior areas that have been contained for over a week. The fire is still active inside of the containment lines in the Clavey River, Reynolds Creek and Jawbone Creek drainages as well as to the west of Harden Lake, Harden Road and Tioga Road.

Incident Command expects moderate fire spread to the northeast into Yosemite Wilderness areas north of Hetch Hetchy reservoir. Also, Jimeneza-Holtz says we could see more smoke the next couple of days as a cold front from the north will cause the winds to shift to the northwest.

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Current Weather

Wind Conditions	7 mph E
Temperature	60 degrees
Humidity	30%

RIM FIRE REMINDERS: 9-11-13

A forest closure order is in effect for locations within and proximate to the fire area.  (That means the Stanislaus Forest south of Hwy 108.)

Unburned islands of fuel within and adjacent the fire perimeter continue to consume and create spotting near or across planned containment lines; therefore the percent contained remains the same.

The reported containment percentage will increase when fire activity subsides.

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Community Meeting at Tenaya Elementary School 19177 Highway 120 Groveland CA at 6 pm, September 11, to provide the public with current information on Rim Fire suppression efforts.

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Current Weather

Wind Conditions	7 mph E
Temperature	60 degrees
Humidity	30%

RIM FIRE UPDATE, Sept 10th, 8:24 p.m.

September 10, 2013    08:24 pm     Tracey Petesen, MML News Reporter 

 

Tuolumne County, CA - The Incident Command says the Rim Fire is in "hold patrol and mop up mode".

The fire has grown almost 500 acres to 255,146 or 399 square miles and is still 80% contained. The number of firefighters has dropped to 2,735 on scene. The cost is now $102 million.  

Incident Command Spokesperson Mark Healy says, "The interior pockets of fuels are continuing to burn themselves out and they're getting smaller and smaller. The pockets near the line are dwindling. We are having fewer threats to our containment out there. Firefighters are continuing to mop up further back in off of the control lines. We are expecting the humidity to climb slightly which will help us by reducing the flame's intensit. The fires won't burn so hot so lots of good news."

There was one road opening today as Evergreen Road opened at Noon to Evergreen Lodge. However, the road continues to be closed from the Lodge and beyond.

The Rim Fire Incident Command is holding another community meeting this time in Groveland. It will be held at the Tenaya Elementary School at 6pm.

MI WUK / SUGAR PINE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT HAS A NEW CHIEF

WELCOME to Chief Larry Crabtree who was voted in tonight by the Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Board.  Larry has been serving as Interim Chief since May.  He has earned the support of his captains and the Fire Chief Selection Committee which was made up of several Fire Board members as well as 5-6 community members.  That committee will now morph into a Fire Board Advisory Committee, with perhaps a few new and a few retiring members.

Chief Crabtree has many credentials and much knowledge to share with our community and we are really fortunate to have his leadership.  I'm so glad Russ and I were at the Fire Board meeting tonight to observe the outcome of the process that took place in a 'closed meeting' and then officially welcome Chief Crabtree.

RIM FIRE UPDATE, Sept 10, 2013, around 8:00 a.m.; Info on Evergreen Rd.

Rim Fire Update -- September 10, 2013

Incident: Rim Fire Wildfire
Released: 3 hrs. ago

RIM FIRE UPDATE September 10 2013 6:00 AM

InciWeb: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/Twitter: https://twitter.com/info_ciimt1 https://twitter.com/Sierra_NF https://twitter.com/YosemiteNPS

Flickr: http://tinyurl.com/k5th863
Email: RimFireInfo@gmail.com

Blogger: RimFireInfo@blogspot.com

Incident Statistics
Acres Burned: 254 685 (398 square miles)
Containment: 80%
Fire Start Date: August 17 2013
Fire Cause: Under Investigation
Cost to date: $100.4 million
Structures Threatened: 1 285
Residences Destroyed: 11
Commercial Property Destroyed: 3
Outbuildings Destroyed: 97
Injuries: 9
Total Personnel 3 027

Fire Update
Firefighters continue to face hot and dry conditions coupled with low humidity. Active fire behavior is expected today in pockets of unburned vegetation in the Clavey River drainage the Reynolds Creek and Jawbone Creek drainages within the northeast area of the fire perimeter. Fire spread within control lines west of Harden Lake and Harden Road and west of Tioga Road in the southeast area of the fire is also expected. Firefighters will continue to work to quickly contain new spot fires patrol mop up and monitor lines while maintaining structure defense. South by southwest winds may cause smoky conditions near the southeast corner of the fire while a smoke column may again develop due to interior burning.

Park and Forest Closures
Yosemite National Park has closed Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds both located along Tioga Road. White Wolf Campground and White Wolf Lodge remain closed. The Stanislaus National Forest has issued an area closure for the entire Groveland Ranger District and for the Mi-Wok Ranger District east of State Route 108.  (From BK:  believe it or not, we had a chain saw cutting a downed tree behind our house yesterday.  Forest Service informed them of the closure.)  Additional details are available from the Stanislaus Forest Supervisor's Office 209-532-3671; Mi-Wok Ranger Station (209) 586-3234; Summit Ranger Station 209-965-3434; and Groveland Ranger Station 209-962-7825.

Road Openings
Visitors travelling to Yosemite Valley through Groveland will find State Hwy 120 and the Big Oak Flat Road open. Businesses are open and providing services (gasoline food and lodging) for travelers.

Road Closures
State Route 120 (Tioga Road) remains closed from Crane Flat to 1 1⁄2 miles east of White Wolf. Park visitors can access Tuolumne Meadows from SR-395 via the park entrance at Tioga Pass. Cherry Lake Road is closed at State Route 120. Evergreen Road Old Yosemite Road and Hardin Flat Road are also closed.

Evacuations and Advisories
No mandatory or advisory evacuation orders are in effect in Mariposa or Tuolumne Counties but some secondary roads remain closed to non-residents within the fire area.

For more information or if you have questions please contact the Rim Fire at 209-928-1059 or 209-928- 1053. If you have questions about Yosemite National Park call 209-372-0327 or 209-372-0329. Updated information is also available at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/. All media are requested to report to the Incident Command Post to check in with Public Information Officers. 

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Evergreen Road to Partially Open Today

Incident: Rim Fire Wildfire
Released: 37 min. ago
Evergreen road to open today at noon to evergreen Lodge. Road remains closed beyond Evergreen Lodge.

RIM FIRE UPDATE, Sept. 10th, 8:35 a.m.

September 10, 2013    08:35 am   B.J. Hansen, MML News Director 

Tuolumne County, CA -- Officials are estimating that the Rim Fire has grown to 254,685 acres.

The Incident Command completed its morning briefing, and the fire is still listed as 80% contained. 3,027 firefighters are on scene, and the cost to fight the flames is up to $100.4 million.

Firefighters are expected to face hot and dry conditions again today. The Incident Command is predicting active fire behavior in the Clavey River drainage, Reynolds Creek drainage and Jawbone Creek drainage.

The fire is also expected to spread within the control lines west of Harden Lake and west of Tioga Road. A large smoke column is expected to develop again today due to the interior burning. Firefighters will also continue to patrol for new spot fires.

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The humidity has dropped.  Let's hope this weather front due in tomorrow will raise our humidity!

From InciWeb.org about half an hour ago:

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	10 mph NE
Temperature	59 degrees
Humidity	28%

'COPTER LOADING RETARDANT IN THE LONG BARN AREA

I grabbed these photos off of the TV last night, Channel 10 in Sacramento:

The helicopters are loading with retardant at this 'portable' site in order to save flying time by going to a retardant fill site farther away. 

We use closed captions on our TV so my husband can hear better.  Sadly, look at the spelling of Tuolumne in the captions of the photos above!!!!!  I did not notice that when I snapped the picture.

So............from Mi Wuk Village in Tualomie County.............    Have a great day.  I still think the loading of the 'copter is interesting.  :)

RIM FIRE UPDATE, Sept 10, 7 a.m.-ish

There is no update information on MyMotherlode.com this morning as of 7 a.m.  And on InciWeb.org there seems to be little change.  I do notice changes in fire behavior overnight in the report below.   Sorry I can't tell you exactly where Divisions  P & Q are located.  I'm looking for a map with those markers.  A positive note:  humidity is up to 42% this morning and that's a good thing.

In a separate post, just before this one I hope, is a video of the Sunday evening Town Meeting in Twain Harte.

I haven't been able to locate a legend for the map above and can't tell you exactly what the yellow highlighted areas signify.  For what it's worth, I think they are the current active spots of interest for the fire crews.

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	Mcgowan

Current Situation

Total Personnel	3,104
Size	253,332 acres
Percent Contained	80%
Estimated Containment Date	Friday September 20th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Brush, Oaks, and Pine, conifer stands
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior observed within the interior unburned islands of Division P consisted of running surface fire and short crown fire runs resulting in a rotating column with fire whirls in the early evening hours. Numerous spot fires were detected outside the existing containment lines, largest reported at one quarter acre. Surface fire with isolated torching was observed during the remainder of the night in other active portions of the fire, along with creeping and smoldering in other contained Divisions of the fire.
Significant Events	New initial attack fires discovered during yesterday's day shift have been contained. Night shift resources have contained all known spots outside the containment lines near the Division P and Q break. Resources also completed a small firing operation around developments at Hetch Hetchy to further secure the fire perimeter around those structures.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Implementation of the Suppression Damage Repair Plan will continue. Resources will continue to patrol, mop-up, and monitor all areas of the fire, in addition to the developed areas interior of the fire perimeter and those adjacent to the fire area. Resources will continue to monitor for possible spot fires and mop-up yesterday's new initial attack fires that were reported during day shift.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	O-Shaughnessey, and Aspen Valley continue to be evacuated due to lack of power and ongoing mitigations of hazards caused by fire. Significant progress is being made to mitigate these hazards and restore power. Small contingents of employees from Hetch Hetchy Power and Water have been allowed back into Mather. The pockets of unburned fuel within the perimeter of the fire area continue to consume and create potential for spot fires outside the containment lines. Approximately 2,490 structures remain threatened in areas near the fire perimeter to the north, south, and southeast portions of the fire. State Route 120 is opened to Crane Flat and the Big Oak Road is open from Crane Flat to Yosemite Valley. The portion of State Route 120 (Tioga Pass Road) from Crane Flat to White Wolf remains closed. Evergreen Road, Old Yosemite Road, Harden, and the Cherry Creek Road remain closed. A Forest closure order is in effect for locations within the proximate to the fire area.

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	10 mph E
Temperature	56 degrees
Humidity	42%    (Signature won't cooperate this morning!)