Rim Fire
The Rim Fire was a massive wildfire that started in a remote canyon in the Stanislaus National Forest in California's Tuolumne County. The fire ignited on August 17, 2013, amid the 2013 California wildfire season, and burned 257,314 acres (402 sq mi; 104,131 ha; 1,041 km2) in largely remote areas of the Sierra Nevada, including a large portion of Yosemite National Park. The Rim Fire was fully contained on Thursday, October 24, 2013, after a nine-week suppression effort by firefighters. Due to a lack of winter rains, some logs smoldered in the interior portion of the fire footprint throughout the winter, and more than a year passed before the fire was declared totally extinguished in November 2014.
| Rim Fire | |
|---|---|
The flames of the Rim Fire seen crowning through the tree canopy on August 17, 2013 | |
| Location | Sierra Nevada, California |
| Coordinates | 37°51′N 120°5′W |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $127.35 million (2013 USD) |
| Date(s) | August 17, 2013 – November 4, 2014 |
| Burned area | 257,314 acres (402 sq mi; 104,131 ha; 1,041 km2) |
| Cause | Illegal camping fire |
| Buildings destroyed |
|
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 10 |
| Map | |
The Rim Fire burned primarily in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. | |
The general location of the Rim Fire within California | |
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 112 structures—largely outbuildings—were destroyed in the fire. During suppression efforts, which cost more than $127 million (2013 USD), a total of ten injuries from the wildfire were reported, but there were no fatalities. The Rim Fire grew to be (at the time) the third-largest wildfire in California's recorded history and the largest recorded in the Sierra Nevada. As of 2023, the Rim Fire was California's 11th-largest recorded wildfire.