Rim Fire Update Sept. 02, 2013

The Rim Fire in and around Yosemite National Park, which began on August 17, 2013 is now the fourth largest fire in California’s history. According toInciweb.org for Sept. 02, 2013: “The Rim Fire grew approximately 8,310 acres, to a total size of 231,088 acres. Burnout operations on the northern and southern portions of the fire continued with success through the night. Southwest transport winds returned smoke to the communities northeast of the fire, including Reno, Carson City, Markleeville, Minden, and the Lake Tahoe Basin, and returned clearer skies to the Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and the San Joaquin Valley.

To date: 

– Acres Burned: 228,670 (357 square miles or 7.5 times the size of San Francisco)
– Structures Threatened: 4,500
– Containment: 60% (containment rose from 45 to 60% overnight)
– Residences Destroyed: 11
– Fire Start Date: August 17, 2013
– Cause: Unknown but thought to be human
– Commercial Property Destroyed: 3
– Fire Cause: Under Investigation
– Outbuildings Destroyed: 97
– Cost to date: $66 million
– Injuries: 5
– Total Personnel 4,616

This natural-color satellite image was collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite on August 31, 2013. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red.

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 NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Lynn Jenner with information from inciweb.org.