The number of hand crews rose Sunday from 74 to 93 – supported by 297 engines, 43 water tenders, 14 helicopters, seven air tankers and 47 bulldozers – to fight the fire that started on the afternoon of August 13 just south of Nacimiento Reservoir, a Cal Fire spokesman said Sunday evening.
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Utility companies will continue to work in the area to replace damaged and destroyed infrastructure, and the rail corridor is being assessed, Cal Fire said in a statement. Officials said the 6-square-mile fire in Lower Lake was 95 percent contained.
Moving with lightning speed in its early stages, the fire forced more than 82,000 people to evacuate and destroyed more than 300 buildings, 105 of which were homes.
In addition to the tour cancellations, the fire has forced about 1,100 residents to evacuate and has destroyed at least 34 homes and 14 other structures.
The battle with the Chimney Fire entered an 11th day Tuesday as firefighters beat back the blaze and prevent it from reaching Hearst Castle.
Sixty miles east of Los Angeles, minimal activity was seen at fire that burned almost 58 square miles and 105 homes in Cajon Pass and the San Gabriel Mountains last week.
By Saturday, crews had largely contained the blaze allowing the lifting of evacuation orders for many residents. It is 60 percent contained.
Officials say it was another example of a disturbing trend in the state as wildfires speed through drought-starved vegetation during what could be California’s most hazardous fire season on record.
Historic Hearst Castle was bathed in smoke Monday as firefighters made a stand against a blaze that raced across dry timber and grasslands in San Luis Obispo County and came within a couple of miles of the tourist destination.
Wildfires are raging across several U.S. states, but have hit parched California – a state suffering from a years-long drought – particularly hard.
Hearst said the fire was burning the eastern portion of the ranch, which is mostly uninhabited wildlands, so the losses have been kept to a minimum. The fire is 30 percent contained. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. All evacuation orders have been canceled.
In Yellowstone, four fires are burning but all major visitor areas and roads remain open.
Chambers said the closure allowed fire crews to set up firefighting equipment to protect the hilltop estate.
High temperatures and gusty winds last week led to “red flag warnings” regarding fire conditions, fire officials say, but cooler conditions expected this week should alleviate some of the extreme circumstances.
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In central Idaho, a 160-square-mile wildfire in a remote, mountainous area continues to defy containment and burn through timbered slopes that are hard for firefighters to reach.
