HUNTINGTON LAKE – Crews on the Aspen Fire continued mopping up 100 to 200 feet along the perimeter today, and worked on repairing, restoring and rehabilitating the firelines within the fire’s perimeter where it was safe to do so. Suppression repair will continue tonight on the northern side of the fire, along with firing operations along the San Joaquin River.

HUNTINGTON LAKE – The Aspen Fire has now consumed 20,797 acres and is 75% contained. The cost to fight the fire to date is reported at $23.4 million. Today on the Aspen Fire, crews continued to make good progress with indirect and direct attack fire line construction.

HUNTINGTON LAKE – Why didn’t they put this thing out right away? Why was it so many days with 0% containment? Are they really trying to get this fire handled, or just letting it burn on purpose? Those are some of the questions people have been bandying about, and when I visited the Aspen Fire Camp last Friday, I was ...

NORTH FORK – An update has come in from Verizon Wireless concerning the cell tower at Cascadel Woods just above North Fork. While we were told on July 26 that the tower was still being “dialed in,” Verizon has corrected that information, and we are now being told that the cell site “was placed into service on July 25 with ...

HUNTINGTON LAKE – When I rolled into the Aspen Fire Incident Command Post, which has sprung up at the China Peak Mountain Resort, it was 6 a.m., Sunday morning. Skies were clear and blue, and the temperature was perfect, just south of 50 degrees. I had worried that arriving so early would mean a smoky inversion, but that wasn’t the ...

HUNTINGTON LAKE – So what do you do when you have over 2,000 people, all working on a dangerous, complex and widely dispersed project, and you need centralized organization and coordination? You build a city, of course. The Incident Command Post (ICP) for the Aspen Fire is exactly that, a tiny city spread across what is generally the parking lot ...

HUNTINGTON LAKE – The Aspen Fire has now burned 18,774 acres in the High Sierra District of the Sierra National Forest. There are a total of 2,004 personnel assigned to the fire, which is 55% contained. The date for complete containment is Aug. 10.

EASTERN MADERA COUNTY – The Aspen Fire, burning on the Sierra National Forest – High Sierra Ranger District, has now grown to 16,204 acres and is 40% contained. Additional resources continue to arrive to assist in the fire suppression efforts, and there are now a total of 1,947 personnel assigned to the incident. The Forest Service says firefighter and public ...

YOSEMITE LAKES PARK – Two vehicles collided at the intersection of Revis Road and West Revis Circle on Wednesday, July 31, resulting in injuries to one driver. A teen driver and passenger were southbound on Revis Road at about 1 p.m. in a 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup. Carolyn Enlow, 72, of Ahwahnee had reportedly been visiting a friend on ...

NORTH FORK – Avid summer readers who participated in the North Fork Library’s Summer Reading program gathered at the library on Wednesday, July 24, to receive recognition for their achievements over the past six weeks. The theme for the 2013 Summer Reading Program was “Reading Is So Delicious,” and 66 kids participated in North Fork.