There were dire warnings all last week that we could be looking at a two- or three-week containment process for the enormous Rim Fire to our east, and though that may be true things are finally under control for the fifth largest wildfire in California history.
The fire, burning since August 17, has slowed down and is not growing its footprint significantly in any direction, but it has now burned some 370 square miles of forest. Firefighters say it is now 70 to 75 percent contained, up from 45 percent on Sunday night. Two thirds of the burn occurred in Stanislaus National Forest, on either side of Highway 120, and a total of 111 structures, only 11 of which were residences, were destroyed. The biggest casualty, besides thousands of acres of forest, was Berkeley's 90-year-old Tuolomne Family Camp, which was leveled.
The remainder of the fire was in Yosemite National Park, but thankfully no significant attractions in the park were affected.
Full containment is expected by September 20.
The cause of the fire remains a mystery to be solved, and the impacts on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir the source of 85 percent of San Francisco's water also remain to be seen. So far, as we've been told, water quality remains just fine.
