Arson Fire in Yosemite Grows to 1,500 Acres

A fire in Yosemite National Park’s Hetch Hetchy basin grew to 1,500 acres Saturday, and park officials were searching for a man suspected of setting the blaze.

The fire was burning in wilderness in the northwest portion of the park, said Scott Gediman, a ranger with the National Park Service. No structures were threatened, he said.

“At this time, it’s difficult to actively fight the fire because there is a suspected arsonist out there,” Gediman said. “There is potential danger from this person, from the fire and the flames, and the rugged terrain.”

Fire crews were building a line around the blaze to contain it, he said.

In the Eldorado National Forest, less than 100 miles to the north, a major trans-Sierra highway remained closed and another was restricted to escorted traffic as wildfires burned more than 20,000 acres.

Firefighters have one of the Eldorado fires, called Fred’s, 65% contained. It has spread across 7,700 acres near U.S. 50, which links Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Residents of Kyburz were allowed to return home Friday, but others in nearby Silver Fork were kept away as firefighters burned areas to protect summer cabins, fire officials said.

To the south, another blaze, called Power, was 40% contained, fire officials said. It has burned 12,900 acres and closed a section of California 88, although escorted traffic was allowed Saturday. The Power fire was not expected to be contained until Oct. 23 due to a heavy concentration of dead trees and brush. The fire is 17 miles east of Pioneer, between Bear River Reservoir and Salt Springs Reservoir.

To the west, another wildfire northeast of San Francisco in Rumsey neared full containment. More than 700 firefighters who had been battling the 39,138-acre blaze in Yolo and Napa counties have been released, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was the largest of the three Northern California wildfires, and was expected to be fully contained by late Saturday.

“The fire is pretty much inactive,” said Mashaad Kiburi, a forestry department spokesman. “We’re going through a mop-up and rehabilitation of the fire grounds right now.”

About 1,400 firefighters remained on the fire, he said. Four structures burned in the Rumsey fire -- three homes and one outbuilding. The three residences were unoccupied trailers that were used for storage or for seasonal use, Kiburi said.