Yosemite Wildfire blankets region with smoke:
Firefighters reported significant progress Wednesday against one of the biggest wildfires in California's history, but it was still spewing an enormous plume of smoke, dangerously contaminating the air across California and Nevada.
Authorities urged people in the region to avoid all outdoor activity as the Rim Fire's choking haze — a mile and a quarter thick at some points — spread from the outskirts of Yosemite National Park into Nevada. "Unhealthful" and "very unhealthy" air quality readings were recorded Wednesday across the Reno and Carson City area.
The blaze called the Rim Fire, now 23 percent contained thanks to the efforts of more than 4,000 firefighters, is quickly becoming one of the largest wildfires in California history. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
The fire had grown from 144,000 acres Sunday to about 187,500 acres by late Wednesday morning — about the size of New York City. It had destroyed 111 structures and was threatening 4,500 more, according to a joint federal-state-local incident report.
It's already the seventh-biggest fire in state history — and it's only 23 percent contained after almost two weeks of herculean effort by firefighting crews.
No comments:
Post a Comment