Airtanker may be down at Park fire
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014 - 4:50 p.m. - An airtanker responding to a wildfire near Yosemite's Arch Rock entrance may have gone down while fighting the blaze, a CAL FIRE spokesman tells the GAZETTE."They are still trying to hike up to the crash site to identify (survivors or victims)," the spokesman at CAL FIRE's Emergency Command Center for the county said around 4:45 p.m. "They've got a big mess right now."
The firefighter said initial reports suggested the downed craft was a fixed wing tanker.
The wildfire has closed the road connecting El Portal to Yosemite's Arch Rock entrance, Park officials report.
Airtankers were "en route" for an initial attack on the fire as of 4:15 p.m., Park fire information manager Gary Wuchner said. The wildfire had consumed about 130 acres as of that time, he said.
The incident was first reported at 2:35 p.m., a CHP Web site recorded.
The fire was burning near Dog Rock, a granite feature that juts over the road inside Yosemite's boundary. The blaze was moving upslope towards Foresta, and an evacuation advisory has been issued for the community, Park spokesperson Kari Cobb said.
About four families reside permanently in Foresta, Wuchner said. Homes in the area were notified via Mariposa County's automated phone message system, he added.
Additional updates will be posted to the GAZETTE's Web site as soon as they become available.
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