Rim Fire

This article is about the 2013 wildfire in California. For other uses, see Rimfire.

Rim Fire
A leaning column of dark brown smoke fills the sky behind a complex of wooden buildings surrounded by trees
The fire nearing the Groveland Ranger Station in the Stanislaus National Forest
Date(s)
  • August 17 (17-08) –
  • August 24, 2013 (2013-08-24)
  • (8 days)
LocationSierra Nevada, California
Coordinates37°51′N 120°5′W / 37.850°N 120.083°W / 37.850; -120.083
Statistics[1][2]
Burned area257,314 acres (104,131 ha; 402 sq mi; 1,041 km2)
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries10
Structures destroyed
  • 11 residences
  • 3 commercial
  • 98 outbuildings
Damage
  • $127.35 million
  • (equivalent to about $164.3 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseIllegal camping fire
Map
The Rim Fire is shown in orange having burnt into the Stanislaus National Forest (in green) and northwestern portions of Yosemite National Park (in gold stripes).
The Rim Fire burned primarily in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park.
Rim Fire is located in California
Rim Fire
The general location of the Rim Fire within California

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.

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.

  1. ^ DeLuca, Matthew (August 24, 2013). "Emergency in San Francisco as wildfire threatens city's power grid". NBC News. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  2. ^ "Rim Fire continues to burn". Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.