place

Rim Fire

2013 California wildfiresSierra Nevada (United States)Tuolumne County, CaliforniaUse American English from November 2023Use mdy dates from November 2023
Wildfires in Mariposa County, CaliforniaWildfires in Tuolumne County, CaliforniaYosemite National Park
Rim Fire 20130817 FS UNK 0021 (9626930685)
Rim Fire 20130817 FS UNK 0021 (9626930685)

The Rim Fire was a massive wildfire that started in a remote canyon in the Stanislaus National Forest in California's Tuolumne County. The fire ignited on August 17, 2013, amid the 2013 California wildfire season, and burned 257,314 acres (402 sq mi; 104,131 ha; 1,041 km2) in largely remote areas of the Sierra Nevada, including a large portion of Yosemite National Park. The Rim Fire was fully contained on Thursday, October 24, 2013, after a nine-week suppression effort by firefighters. Due to a lack of winter rains, some logs smoldered in the interior portion of the fire footprint throughout the winter, and more than a year passed before the fire was declared totally extinguished in November 2014. The fire was caused by a hunter's illegal fire that got out of control, and it was named for its proximity to the Rim of the World vista point, a scenic overlook on Highway 120 leading up to Yosemite. A total of 112 structures—largely outbuildings—were destroyed in the fire. During suppression efforts, which cost more than $127 million (2013 USD), a total of ten injuries from the wildfire were reported, but there were no fatalities. The Rim Fire grew to be (at the time) the third-largest wildfire in California's recorded history and the largest recorded in the Sierra Nevada. As of 2023, the Rim Fire was California's 11th-largest recorded wildfire.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Rim Fire (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 37.85 ° E -120.08333333333 °
placeShow on map

Address

Tuolumne County (Tuolumne)



California, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Rim Fire 20130817 FS UNK 0021 (9626930685)
Rim Fire 20130817 FS UNK 0021 (9626930685)
Share experience

Nearby Places

Buck Meadows, California
Buck Meadows, California

Buck Meadows (formerly Hamilton's and Hamilton's Station) is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California, United States. It is located 2 miles (3 km) east-northeast of Smith Peak, at an elevation of 3,015 feet (919 m). The population was 21 at the 2020 census.Buck Meadows lies just south of the Tuolumne County line. It is on State Route 120, 11 miles (18 km) east of Groveland. The ZIP Code for this community is shared with Groveland (95321), and wired telephones work out of Groveland's telephone exchange with numbers following the format (209) 962-xxxx. The official U.S. Geological Survey coordinates for the community are 37°48′46″N 120°03′52″W.The area is named for Buck's Meadow 37°48′43″N 120°07′07″W which lies at the corner of SR120 and Smith Station Road. According to The Big Oak Flat Road, a variant name for the area was Hamilton's Station. This may have referred to the name of a stagecoach stop. 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of U.S.F.S. Buck Meadows Fire Station, "Rim of the World" overlooks the canyon containing the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. Further east, visitors on hot summer days can cool off at a Stanislaus National Forest picnic area called "Rainbow Pool". The area is on the south side of SR120 2.25 miles east of U.S.F.S. Buck Meadows Fire Station. This community is home to Lucky Buck Restaurant on SR120. Southwest of town, the U.S. Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest fire lookout at Smith Peak overlooks the area. A U.S.F.S. campground and fire station are also present in the community. The Pines campground is located at 37°49′05″N 120°05′36″W.

Second Garrotte

Second Garrotte (also spelled Garrote) is a ghost town located near Groveland in Tuolumne County, California originally settled during the California Gold Rush. The site of Second Garrote is a California Historical Landmark, No. 460 listed on May 9, 1950. It lies at an elevation of 2,894 feet (882 meters) in Second Garrotte Basin.The town was named after a nearby hanging tree, where according to local lore as many as thirty men were said to have been hanged. Certain contemporary accounts from miners and settlers in the area suggest only two men were hung at Second Garrotte, a pair of thieves caught stealing gold dust from a sluice box. John Chaffee and Jason Chamberlain, early settlers at Second Garrotte who owned the property on which the hanging tree stood, denied any hangings took place.The nearby town of Groveland was originally known as First Garrotte, named after an earlier hanging at that town.The historical location of Second Garrote is at 20450 Old State Route 120, 2.4 miles Southeast of Groveland. The marker was placed there by the California Centennials Commission working with Charles G. Hall Post No. 3668 V.F.W. on September 15, 1950. California Historical Landmark number 460 reads: NO. 460 SECOND GARROTE - A sizable settlement was established at this rich placer location in 1849 by miners spreading east from Big Oak Flat and Groveland. The famous hangman's tree, part of which still stands (1950), is reported to have been instrumental in the death of a number of lawbreakers during the heyday of this locality.