Some Containment Near Groveland And PML

Groveland, CA — There is now 5% containment of the Rim Fire burning in the Stanislaus National Forest.

Spokesperson Jerry Snyder says it has grown to 16,228 acres. Officials assessed the fire overnight, and noticed growth in all areas except near the communities of Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake. A bulk of the firefighting efforts have been focused on protecting the homes and structures in those communities, and there is now some containment.

The fire continues to burn very strong in the Clavey River Canyon and Tuolumne River Drainage. It has been heading towards the area known as Pilot Peak. 858 firefighters are on scene this morning.

Last night the Rim Fire caused two more areas to be evacuated as a precaution. The first is the Berkeley Family Camp which is east of the fire. Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Officials also assisted the Mariposa County Sherriff’s Department in advising residents near Hardin Flat to evacuate. There are also advisory evacuations along Ferretti Road, Clements Road, Camp Tawonga, Buck Meadows, San Jose Family Camp, Rainbow Pool, Yosemite Inn, Early Intake, Evergreen Lodge, Packard Canyon and the Spinning Wheel Forest Service Facility. Officials have put in place a reverse 911 system to notify residents that are under an evacuation advisory.

The Mother Lode Fair Grounds have been turned into a safe haven for people displaced by the Rim Fire.

Highway 120 remains closed indefinitely four miles west of the Groveland Ranger Station and four miles east of Buck Meadows. Ferretti Road was closed yesterday. Access to the fire is still a big concern for fire crews and equipment.

A special thanks to our community news partners for sending in photos from the scene. It was a record day for myMotherLode.com on Tuesday as there were 60,000 individual visits and 250,000 page views by 5pm.