FRESNO (KMJ) — Containment on the Ferguson Fire has been rising and the number of personnel on scene has been falling.
Full containment is forecast for August 22nd.
“The fire is staying within the containment lines that have been established by the firefighters over the last several weeks,” revealed Incident Information Officer Tom Efrid.
The Mariposa County blaze officially began July 13th; as of Thursday morning it has consumed 96,810 acres with 87% containment (click here for the latest numbers).
It comes after Yosemite National Park officials reopened the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and Yosemite Valley on Monday and Tuesday.
No change in numbers for the #FergusonFire today; still at 96,810 acres and 87% containment. Full update here: https://t.co/h7y2KIGsZ7@Stanislaus_NF @YosemiteNPS @YosemiteFire
Photo: Rio Bravo Hotshots crew member observes a smoldering tree (by @stuartpalley for USFS) pic.twitter.com/w91nR8roQG
— Sierra Ntl. Forest (@Sierra_NF) August 16, 2018
“Yosemite Valley and any of the communities in and around Yosemite – they are no longer threatened,” said Efrid.
“There’s a little piece of line that is visible to the visiting public as they drive up the 140 highway inside the western entrance to Yosemite National Park. It’s a steep piece of ground that we can’t safely put firefighters in there to extinguish that fire, so that portion of the fire is going to have to burn itself out as it runs out of fuel.”
Hundreds of firefighters working the lines have been sent away as the incident becomes more manageable.
“There’s only so much line that needs to be completed. So as crews and engines become excessive to our needs then we need to move them onto other higher priority areas.”
The cause of the blaze remains unknown.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
