Rim Fire Summary Timeline
The Rim Fire became the 3rd largest fire in the 80 years of records that Cal Fire kept as of 2013. It burned 257,314 or over square miles and damaged 112 structures. A person caused the fire but charges were later dropped. At its peak, over 5,000 firefighters were battling the Rim Fire which burned around 77,000 acres within Yosemite National Park. More information about the Rim Fire is in the book California’s Rim Fire by B.J. Hansen, Clarke Broadcasting’s News Director. A news story about the book is here.
Michael McEvoy
8/17/13 Forest Service spokesperson Jerry Snyder says the Rim Fire continues to burn up a north facing slope of the Clavey River canyon towards Jawbone Ridge. Snyder says it is in an isolated region, and no structures are considered in immediate danger. It is approximately 200 acres.
8/18/13 Grew to 250 acres
Michael McEvoy
8/19/13 Grew from 450 to 2,500 acres
- Began at 450 acres “Because of the difficult location, and growth potential, last night the Forest Service brought in an outside South Central Sierra Incident Management Team, similar to what was done with the Power Fire near Pinecrest.”
- Rim Fire Expands To 450 Acres
Michael McEvoy
- 800 acres: Forest Service Spokesperson Jerry Snyder says, “The fire continues to move up the south slope on the Clavey River drainage. Fixed wing aircraft have been successful in holding the fire to the top of Jawbone Ridge between the Tuolumne River and the Clavey River, but is expected to continue it’s up canyon spread.”
- Highway 120 closed between Ferretti Road to Cherry Lake Road.
- 2,500 acres: and an evacuation center is set up at Tioga High School.
- Afternoon Fire Update
8/20/13 From 4,440 acres to 10,170 to 11,000
- Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District has cancelled classes. Advisory evacuations in place for several areas.
- 4,440 Acres Burned In Rim Fire
- Rim Fire Destroys Two Homes
- More Rim Fire Evacuations
- Weather Concern For Rim Fire Forest Spokesperson Jerry Snyder “progress laying some hand lines in to protect the communities of Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake”
- Rim Fire Causing More Evacuations
- A Category Change For Rim Fire
- Shelter From The Fire
- Air Quality Alert Issued For Tuolumne County
- Hanvelt: Local State Of Emergency
8/21/13 The total acreage remains at around 16,200 and there is 5% containment.
- Some Containment Near Groveland And PML
- PML Airport Used For Rim Fire Attack
Pine Mountain Lake Airport has been closed to the public so that air resources can reduce the amount of time it takes to refuel.
- 129th Rescue Wing Helping Rim Fire
- Pine Mountain Lake Advisory Evacuations
- Steps To Take To Prevent Breathing Problems
- Camp Mather Added To Rim Fire Evacuations
- Emergency Supervisors Meeting About Rim Fire
- Rim Fire: State Of Emergency
- Evacuees Arrive At Fairgrounds
- Campground Evacuated
- Big Guns Arrive
8/22/13 The Rim Fire more than doubles to 53,887 acres over night. 58 evacuees at the Sonora Red Cross Center. An Air Quality Alert is issued here.
U.S. Forest Service
USFS-Mike McMilla
- Volunteers Needed
- Air Health Alert Extended
- Rim Fire Evacuation Preparation
- Sonora High School Closing
- Rim Fire Evacuation Overview
- Tuolumne County Evacuation Procedure And Meetings
- Rim Fire Cancels Major Events In The Mother Lode
- Rim Fire Relief Efforts
- Precautionary Retardant Drops On Apple Colony Road
- Tuolumne City Rim Fire Staging Area
- Advisory Evacuation Expanded
8/24/13 At 125,620 acres, 5% contained or approximately 200 square miles. At least 17 square miles has burned inside Yosemite National Park in a remote area of backcountry. Yosemite is warning hikers to stay out of that region, and has stopped issuing some backcountry permits.
USFS-Mike McMillan
8/24/13 From 133,980 acres to 143,980 and still 7% Contained
NASA/NOAA
- Yosemite Concerned About Giant Sequoias
- Rim Fire Acreage Increases
- Rim Fire Nears Stanislaus Complex In Size
- Silva: All Tuolumne County Schools Closed
- Additional Emergency Personnel
- TCARES Local HAM Radio Helps Tuolumne
- Mariposa County Evacuations
- 6:30PM Rim Fire Town Hall Meeting To Be Broadcast Live
- Rim Fire143,980 And 7% Contained
Karen Jensen
- TUD Thanks Customers For Water Conservation
- Tax Relief For Business Owners Affected By Fire
- FEMA Provides Federal Funding To Combat Rim Fire
- Brown Offers Support To Tuolumne Responders
- Flash Flood Watch For Southern Sierra Nevada
- Food And Paper Needed
- New Rim Fire Advisory Evacuations
- Jerry Brown Tuolumne City Video
- Town Hall Meeting Reminder
- Animal Evacuations Help
- Rim Fire Now 160,980 acres
8/27/13 From 180,000 to 184,481 acres
James Duff
- Rim Fire Nearly 180,000 Acres
- Rim Fire Plan Of Attack officials plan to do more burnout operations in hopes of pushing it into the Emigrant Wilderness.
- Interfaith Collecting Items For Evacuees
- Tuolumne County Schools Closed for Week
- Temporary Road Closure Yosemite
- On The Rim Fires Front Line
- The Rim Fire Now 184,481 acres
8/28/13 From 187,466 acres and 23% contained to 192,466 or 301 square miles and 30% contained.
Rhett McBride
(2pm -8-23-13)
8/29/13 192,737 acres 30% contained, 11 homes have been destroyed, four commercial buildings and 97 outbuildings in the morning. 199,237 acres and 32% contained by the end of the day.
USFS-Mike McMilla
8/30/13 From 201,894 acres and its 32% contained with the maximum firefighters on scene for the incident: 4,931 firefighters. By the end of the day 213,414 acres or 333 square miles and 35% contained and 4,844 firefighters.
USFS-Mike McMilla
USFS-Mike McMilla
9/1/13
9/2/13
Connie Cassinetto
9/3/13 Rim Fire 80% Contained
9/4/13 Rim Fire Numbers Hold
- 237,341 acres or 371 square miles and it is still 80% contained 4,185 personnel on the incident.
- Rim Fire Has Grown Just 1,500 Acres
- Supervisors Updated On Rim Fire Events
- Evacuations Confusion Lifted
- New Rim Fire Fact Sheet
9/6/13 Rim Fire Over 246,000 Acres
Bodey Marcoccia
9/7/13 Rim Fire Grows Slightly
9/8/13 Rim Fire Risk Of Spot Fires and Rim Fire Test Lines
USFS-Mike McMillan
9/9/13 Rim Fire Fight Continues and Rim Fire Maps Show Progress
9/10/13 254,685 acres 80% contained.
Alex Astapenko
9/11/13
Stella Johnson
9/14/13 The Rim Fire Is 81% Contained
- Dramatic Drop In Structures Threatened
- Mother Lode Home Sales Impacted By Rim Fire
- Under 2,000 Firefighters On Rim Fire
….
4/2/14 Yosemite Opens Rim Fire Areas
8/8/14 Court Documents Detail Rim Fire Investigation
12/18/14 Researchers Examine Rim Fire Growth
3/31/15 Rim Fire Lawsuit Back In Court (logging)
3/31/15 Motion Filed In Rim Fire Case (investigation into cause of fire)
USFS-Mike McMilla
5/1/15 Fiery Reaction To Fed’s Motion to Dismiss Rim Fire ChargesEmerald was accused of accidentally starting the fire in August 2013 while bow hunting. Prosecutors claim that the two witnesses, expected to provide testimony at the trial, recently died. One witness died in a workplace accident in February, and the other, a helicopter pilot, of cardiac arrest in March.
5/27/15 Court Rules In Favor Of Rim Fire Logging134 million board-feet in timber and 22,000 tons of bio-mass sales has been awarded. So far, “Approximately 194 million board-feet have been hauled, and that number reflects the add-ons and bio-mass; there’s still 70 million [board-feet] remaining on the forest [landscape].”
Salvage logging will be completed on only 20% of the Rim Fire footprint, as part of the plan finalized last year.
7/22/15 Supes Ask Feinstein For More Rim Fire Support in three separate letters.
9/22/15 Framing The Case For Rim Fire Resilience Funds
