The Rim Fire that’s been raging near Yosemite National Park since August 17 is still weeks away from containment. The blaze has already destroyed nearly 200,000 acres — tens of thousands of which are within the national park — making it the 6th worst fire in California history. Firefighters have been using drones and backfire operations to control the inferno. We’ll take a look at modern firefighting and prevention strategies, and discuss what can be done to avoid similar disasters.
- More: 2013 California Fire Season Brings Stronger Fires (Forum)
- More: Dramatic California Air National Guard Rim Fire Videos: ‘That is Unreal’
- More: The Flammable West: Why So Many Fires? (The Low Down)
- More: Interactive Map of the Rim Fire – Mashable.com
- More: The Yosemite Inferno in the Context of Forest Policy, Ecology and Climate Change – NYTimes.com