Fire Near Yosemite Now 80 Percent Contained
STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (AP) -- Firefighters have begun repairing ecological damage caused by the creation of fire lines as a blaze near Yosemite National Park nears containment.
Incident spokesman Raj Singh said Wednesday the fire was 80 percent contained. Full containment was expected on Sunday.
Singh said crews have begun repairing damage caused by bulldozers and creating berms to prevent erosion.
The inferno has charred more than 5,200 acres since Thursday, when a motor home traveling on Highway 140 in the Merced River Canyon caught fire. The blaze quickly ran through the steep canyons of dried brush and pine trees.
Earlier this week, it threatened homes and structures in and around the community of El Portal. Portions of the town were evacuated and the highway was closed.
The El Portal School reopened for classes on Wednesday.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
