Sacramento - UPI
The Rim Fire, one of the largest in California history, was declared 100 percent contained Friday, more than two months after it was reported. The fire, first reported Aug. 17, burned through 402 square miles in Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park and neighboring private lands, the U.S. Forest Service said. Officials, in their latest update on the fire, said it had cost more than $127 million to fight. It gutted 11 houses, three commercial properties and nine outbuildings. At its height, the fire forced the closing of a major road connecting Yosemite with Sacramento and the Bay Area and forced hundreds of people out of their homes. Smoke from the fire made life miserable for residents of areas on the eastern side of the Sierras. Even with 100 percent containment, the Forest Service said there was still an area of about 1,000 acres near Kibbie Lake that might burn. There were still 42 firefighters on duty and some roads were still closed because of dangerous trees. Officials said it would take rain or snow to completely extinguish the fire.