This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/25/wildfire-san-francisco-yosemite-crown-fire
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| California wildfire containment efforts complicated by 'crown fire' | California wildfire containment efforts complicated by 'crown fire' |
| (25 days later) | |
| Flames which leap across treetops creating a "crown fire" are complicating efforts to contain a huge wildfire in and around California's Yosemite national park. | Flames which leap across treetops creating a "crown fire" are complicating efforts to contain a huge wildfire in and around California's Yosemite national park. |
| The blaze raced across forest canopy as well as at ground level on Sunday, confronting firefighters with multiple challenges as the fire ravaged 207 square miles, one of the biggest in the state's history. | The blaze raced across forest canopy as well as at ground level on Sunday, confronting firefighters with multiple challenges as the fire ravaged 207 square miles, one of the biggest in the state's history. |
| Helicopters and air tankers were supporting teams on the ground to try to contain and divert flames which threatened the Pine Mountain Lake community, said InciWeb, an inter-agency emergency services site. | Helicopters and air tankers were supporting teams on the ground to try to contain and divert flames which threatened the Pine Mountain Lake community, said InciWeb, an inter-agency emergency services site. |
| "Direct attack is being used in some areas of the fire and more will be utilized as firefighters gain safe access." In steep, inaccessible terrain crews were using "indirect attack" to divert the blaze, it said. | "Direct attack is being used in some areas of the fire and more will be utilized as firefighters gain safe access." In steep, inaccessible terrain crews were using "indirect attack" to divert the blaze, it said. |
| Long, intense flames were jumping from treetop to treetop faster than the blaze moved at ground level, Daniel Berlant, of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told AP. "A crown fire is much more difficult to fight. Our firefighters are on the ground having to spray up." | Long, intense flames were jumping from treetop to treetop faster than the blaze moved at ground level, Daniel Berlant, of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told AP. "A crown fire is much more difficult to fight. Our firefighters are on the ground having to spray up." |
| By Sunday some 2,800 fire fighters with bulldozers and air support had contained just 7% of the blaze. Winds gusting up to 30mph further worsened conditions. | By Sunday some 2,800 fire fighters with bulldozers and air support had contained just 7% of the blaze. Winds gusting up to 30mph further worsened conditions. |
| "This fire has continued to pose every challenge that there can be on a fire: inaccessible terrain, strong winds, dry conditions," said Berlant. "It's a very difficult firefight." | "This fire has continued to pose every challenge that there can be on a fire: inaccessible terrain, strong winds, dry conditions," said Berlant. "It's a very difficult firefight." |
| A total of 8,300 firefighters are battling nearly 400 square miles of fires across California. | A total of 8,300 firefighters are battling nearly 400 square miles of fires across California. |
| What is known as the Rim fire started on August 17 in a remote canyon of the Stanislaus national forest and spread rapidly, torching timber and brush with such power it created its own weather pattern. It remains unclear how it started. | What is known as the Rim fire started on August 17 in a remote canyon of the Stanislaus national forest and spread rapidly, torching timber and brush with such power it created its own weather pattern. It remains unclear how it started. |
| "This fire is burning unlike anything we've seen in this area historically," Ashley Taylor, a US Forest Service spokeswoman, told reporters. | "This fire is burning unlike anything we've seen in this area historically," Ashley Taylor, a US Forest Service spokeswoman, told reporters. |
| Governor Jerry Brown extended a state of emergency to include the city and county of San Francisco when it menaced the power supply on Friday. That prospect receded, and towns such as Groveland breathed easier when the fire moved east through pine forest. | Governor Jerry Brown extended a state of emergency to include the city and county of San Francisco when it menaced the power supply on Friday. That prospect receded, and towns such as Groveland breathed easier when the fire moved east through pine forest. |
| But the fire swept further into the park on Sunday and forced the evacuation of some its camps due to heavy smoke, a park spokesman told Reuters. On Sunday it came within two miles (3.2 km) of a key reservoir that supplies most of San Francisco's water. | But the fire swept further into the park on Sunday and forced the evacuation of some its camps due to heavy smoke, a park spokesman told Reuters. On Sunday it came within two miles (3.2 km) of a key reservoir that supplies most of San Francisco's water. |
| The fire caused the closure of the White Wolf area of the park on its western side, said Yosemite spokesman Tom Medema. Thirteen of 74 camps were evacuated, he said. | The fire caused the closure of the White Wolf area of the park on its western side, said Yosemite spokesman Tom Medema. Thirteen of 74 camps were evacuated, he said. |
| "There's no eminent risk from the fire but the smoke impact is so heavy that we're evacuating those areas," Medema said. | "There's no eminent risk from the fire but the smoke impact is so heavy that we're evacuating those areas," Medema said. |
| The blaze consumed dozens of buildings in rural pockets and threatened thousands of others. It also threatened two groves of giant sequoias on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. | The blaze consumed dozens of buildings in rural pockets and threatened thousands of others. It also threatened two groves of giant sequoias on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. |
| "All of the plants and trees in Yosemite are important, but the giant sequoias are incredibly important both for what they are and as symbols of the national park system," a park spokesman, Scott Gediman, told reporters. | "All of the plants and trees in Yosemite are important, but the giant sequoias are incredibly important both for what they are and as symbols of the national park system," a park spokesman, Scott Gediman, told reporters. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |