Harney Fire Is Contained
Tuolumne County, CA — The Harney Fire has been contained at 37 acres.
The fire broke out near the Jacksonville Road and Harney Drive intersection on Wednesday evening around 5:30 p.m., closing roadways and issuing an evacuation warning for those living on Harney Drive, as earlier reported here.
The acreage climbed from 15 to 37 acres as firefighters battled the blaze. Crews were able to stop the forward rate of spread in about two hours. Firefighters were able to reach 75 percent containment by Thursday morning and 80 percent by that evening. Since then, firefighters have been working toward full containment, with the acreage remaining steady, as detailed here. On Friday morning, crews reached 95% containment and were able to fully contain the fire last night.
Ground resources will remain on the scene today, mopping up and checking for hotspots. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Of note, also working the blaze were Tuolumne County Animal Control officers. They were placed on standby shortly after the fire began, ready to aid those residents who could have been forced to leave their homes. In the end, no evacuations were needed, but animal control officials want to remind the public that as summer approaches, “it’s vital that everyone has an evacuation plan for their house.” They recommend having carriers and an emergency food supply within easy access, and livestock should be prepared on how to load in trailers.
