Over the past two weeks, a fire has been blazing near the Yosemite National Park. Named the Rim Fire, it has already burned over 190,000 acres of land. The wildfire is already the sixth-largest in California history, and it’s nowhere near contained yet. Firefighters have only been able to get the fire to 30% contained thus far.
The fire has been incredibly difficult to control, and because of that, much of the great nature around the area is being threatened. I’ve paid a visit to Yosemite National Park myself, and it was by far one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever seen. Yosemite is a national treasure, so it’s incredibly sad that so much of it is being destroyed. Although Yosemite Valley, which is the most popular hiking spot in Yosemite, has so far been out of harm’s way, there’s a good chance that if the fire continues to spread at its current rate that many popular tourist destinations could be at risk, as well. On top of all of this, there’s thousands of seasonal homes in the area that are in direct path of the fire.
I think the saddest part of the story is all the wildlife that is being killed as a direct result of the fire. I’ve always been an animal person, and just thinking about all the unique species that call Yosemite home that are in danger certainly brings my mood down. However, it does seem like the firefighters have been able to make a bit of progress when it comes to preventative measures down the road, so the outlook may not be as bleak as it currently seems. Regardless, this will go down as at least one of the most devastating wildfires in recent memory. We can only hope that fact doesn’t change from “recent memory” to “ever”.