One of the largest fires in California’s history continues to rage near Yosemite National Forest. In their tenth day of battling the fire, almost 3,400 firefighters have only been able to contain 7% of it.
Via Drudge, according to the LA Times,
Thousands of firefighters on Monday entered a tenth day of trying to slow the pace of the massive Rim fire as it spread across dry, rugged terrain near Yosemite, threatening thousands of homes.
Over the weekend near Tuolumne City, firefighters dug trenches, cleared brush, laid heavy water hoses and started backfires to try to divert the blaze around the town, as they had earlier in Groveland. A base camp in the area could see 2,500 firefighters by Tuesday if the winds continue to push from the southwest, a fire official said.
Nine structures have been destroyed so far, and thousands more are threatened, including 1,600 homes in Tuolumne City at the northwestern edge of the fire, officials said. …
The north edge of the fire, which started Aug. 17 and has burned about 134,000 acres, has pushed into the Emigrant Wilderness Area and Yosemite National Park. It’s the one side of the fire with a natural last stand: If not stopped sooner the blaze will eventually run into granite walls that have snuffed out fires in this region for centuries.
