[californiadisasters] Calif. National Guard Aids Rim Fire Raging Near Yosemite

The wildfire near Yosemite exploded in size overnight Tuesday

By Lisa Fernandez, Christie Smith and Terry McSweeney | NBC - Bay Area

|  Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013  |  Updated 8:36 AM PDT

National Air Guardsmen took off from Moffett Airfield in Mountain View this week in the hopes of gaining control of several wildfires raging in the Yosemite area - spots that are popular with many Northern California residents trying to enjoy their last week or two of summer vacation.

That crew from the 129th Air Rescue Wing joined other firefighters across the state to battle what's been dubbed the Rim Fire - a wildfire that broke out Saturday about 3 p.m. in the Stanislaus National Forest area just outside Yosemite. As of Wednesday by 8 a.m., the fire was 5 percent contained and had spread to more than 16,000 acres. Nearly 900 personnel were fighting the blaze.

The destructive wildfire on the outskirts of Yosemite National Park is threatening some 2,500 structures and grew to 15 square miles overnight.

It has forced the shutdown of a highway into the park. State Route 120 is closed  in both directions, blocking traffic in and out of Yosemite on its west side, but the park remains open.

MORE: Firefighters Battle Blazes, Remain on High Alert Under Red Flag Warning

There are 10 major wildfires burning in California, and the Rim Fire is among the largest.

No injuries were reported but a few structures had burned.

Several camps were evacuated Tuesday as a safety precaution. Those include: San Jose's family camp, Berkeley Tuolomne Camp, San Francisco's Mather Camp, and Camp Tawonga.

On its Facebook page, Camp Tawonga wrote there was no immediate risk to the camp property, where a large black oak tree fell in July and killed a counselor in a separate tragic accident this summer. Still, Camp Tawonga canceled a family camp program this weekend for safety reasons.

Also on Tuesday, about 160 acres burned at the Camp Parks Military Base near Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california/Calif-National-Guard-Aids-Rim-Fire-Raging-Near-Yosemite-220495791.html?

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