Rim Fire
| Rim Fire | |
|---|---|
Satellite image of the Rim Fire, on August 23, 2013
(The American Fire is also visible to the north) |
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| Location | Sierra Nevada, California |
| Coordinates | 37°51′N 120°5′W / 37.850°N 120.083°WCoordinates: 37°51′N 120°5′W / 37.850°N 120.083°W |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $127.35 million (2013 USD) |
| Date(s) | August 17, 2013 – October 24, 2013 |
| Burned area | 257,314 acres (402 sq mi; 1,041 km2) |
| Cause | Illegal campfire |
| Buildings destroyed |
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| Injuries | 10 |
| Map | |
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The Rim Fire was a wildfire that started in a remote canyon in Stanislaus National Forest in California. This portion of the central Sierra Nevada spans Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. The fire started on August 17, 2013 during the 2013 California wildfire season. It was the third largest wildfire in California's history, having burned 257,314 acres (402.053 sq mi; 1,041.31 km2). It is also the largest wildfire on record in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The Rim Fire was fully contained on Thursday, October 24, 2013 after a nine-week firefighting battle. More than a year passed before it was declared out on November 4, 2014. Due to a lack of winter rains, some logs smoldered in the interior portion of the fire throughout the winter.
The fire was caused by a hunter's illegal fire that got out of control, and it was named for its proximity to the Rim of the World vista point, a scenic overlook on Highway 120 leading up to Yosemite. A total of eleven residences, three commercial structures, and 98 outbuildings were destroyed in the fire. A total of ten injuries from the wildfire were also reported, but no firefighters were killed during the suppression efforts which cost more than $127 million (2013 USD).
The fire started on August 17, 2013 at 3:25 pm in the Stanislaus National Forest, east of Groveland, when a hunter lost control of an illegal campfire. The hunter was not identified publicly until a year later, when two felony, and two misdemeanor charges were filed against Keith Matthew Emerald of Columbia, California. The fire had only burned 40 acres when it was discovered, but it grew to 10,000 acres within 36 hours and 100,000 acres after just four days. In two days, in mid-August, the fire burned nearly 90,000 acres. The fire's rapid spread was attributed to drought and extreme weather conditions. It burned into backcountry areas of Yosemite National Park. The park remained open, and though Yosemite Valley was never in danger, the fire did burn 78,895 acres of parkland. Heavy smoke was, at times, a factor.
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