August 28, 2013 4 a.m. CDT (9 UTC): California’s Rim Fire is now said to be 20% contained; that’s slightly better than yesterday. There are now 184,481 acres burned, and 4,081 firefighters battling the blaze according to Inciweb. NASA has released more photos of the fire, which yesterday was said to be the 11th largest in California’s history. The fire is threatening the western edge of Yosemite National Park, a beautiful and beloved area and also home to San Francisco’s water supply. NASA released the top image most recently: the fire at night over a period of days. The other images are from the past several days, showing the awesome power of this drought-fueled fire.
Bottom line: As of August 28, the Rim Fire in central California is said to be 20% contained. Thousands of firefighters are still battling the blaze, which has burned at least 184,481 acres on the western side of Yosemite National Park.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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