The Guardian - by Edward Helmore - August 25, 2013
San Francisco is on alert as blaze threatens power and water supply
A huge wildfire raging on the western boundary of Yosemite National Park was gaining strength on Saturday and led California's governor, Jerry Brown, to declare a state of emergency 150 miles away in San Francisco. Officials fear the blaze could threaten the city's water and power supply.
The week-long fire on the slopes of the western Sierra Nevada mountains is burning across nearly 200 sq miles, threatens 5,500 homes and could push deeper into Yosemite – one of the country's most treasured national parks as well as one of California's most popular tourist destinations.
Sprinklers were set up to protect two groves of giant sequoias, the park's symbol and among the largest and oldest living on earth. The so-called Rim fire is the fourth-largest in the US and one of 50 big blazes currently affecting the western states. But the speed at which it has grown – tripling in size over the past 24 hours – and the terrain over which it is travelling has made it hard to tackle, officials say. The fire has destroyed four homes and 12 outbuildings and was only 2% contained as of Friday. "It's just too doggone dangerous," said Lee Bentley of the forest service. "We could continue to see this fire burn very rapidly."
With more than 2,600 firefighters struggling to contain the blaze, Brown said the fire had caused damage to electrical infrastructure serving San Francisco's 2.6 million residents. The city receives 85% of its water from the Yosemite area. The blaze is less than four miles from the main reservoir, and two of the three hydroelectric power stations in the vicinity have been forced to shut down. The city has so far been able to buy power, but further disruptions or damage could have an effect, city officials said.
