The Rim Fire is now the seventh largest wildfire in California history, growing to nearly 180,000 acres overnight. Over 3,700 firefighters are battling the blaze which is now 20 percent contained. It has destroyed 111 structures, with many more threatened. Late yesterday officials expanded the evacuation area, as the fire continues to spread to the east and southeast. Residents in an area from Mi-Wok to Pinecrest are now being advised to leave their homes.
The scope of the fire is simply immense. Yesterday a NASA astronaut aboard the international space station captured the massive smoke plume over Central California as seen from space with a photo shared on Twitter.
But in the small Mariposa County community of Greeley Hill, resident Bob Moshier and his wife Donetta have decided to stay put. Bob Moshier spoke with Valley Public Radio's Valley Edition about the fire and the impact it is having on the local mountain communities. The fire is currently about four miles from their home on Smith Station Road. The two have started to pack their valuables, but don't plan to leave, hoping the fire will bypass their community.
