Railroad Fire Expands To 5,414 Acres
Fish Camp, CA — The Railroad Fire, burning in the Sierra National Forest just outside of Yosemite, saw its size nearly double over the past 24 hours.
The fire is up to 5,414 acres and there is 10-percent containment. At this time yesterday, the size was estimated to be 2,971 acres. There are 590 firefighters assigned to the incident. Resources include 12 crews, four helicopters, 58 engines and eight dozers. Air tankers are on order and will support the fire suppression efforts when they become available. Full containment is anticipated on Friday, September 8. What ignited the fire on Tuesday, August 29, is still under investigation.
Yesterday the fire spread into the Nelder Grove of Giant Sequoias, an area that fire officials had been trying to protect. Backfiring operations are underway near the northeast corner of the blaze, in hopes of stopping the forward spread. This weekend PG&E will be working to repair some electrical lines within the fire area. Highway 41 remains closed near the incident, so the only access to Yosemite National Park is via Highway 120 and Highway 140.
