King Fire (CA) - 89% contained today

Things in the world of wildfires can always change. As I write this article, the King Fire that has been burning since September 13th is at 89 percent containment thanks to recent rains (see this article from the LA Times (with photos)). Hopefully weather and related conditions will allow for continued progress in fighting this wildfire.

Some of you may have noticed that for the last week or so, I had been posting a short update on the King Fire on the right side of this blog. If the fire remains at or above 89 percent containment I will no longer be posting those short updates. If the situation should change for the worse then I'll resume those short updates. For those of you who want to read my earlier articles covering the King Fire, see my articles of September 17th and September 19th

Anyway, as of today's update on Inciweb's King Fire Page, the fire has burned 97,099 acres. A total of 80 structures have been destroyed including 12 residences. Six people have been injured. There was a fire shelter deployment a couple of weeks ago. Fortunately, no one was injured. Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today wrote about the the deployment here and a second article about the role a pilot had in helping the groundcrews involved in the shelter deployment here.

The King Fire has a freely available Facebook Page with daily updates and pictures. The King Fire Page on Inciweb has a page with photographs.

I may have been involved in other projects last week, my mind has never been far from the ground and air crews who have been working the King Fire and other wildfires that are currently burning. You've done good work and I know that the residents in the community affected by wildfires appreciate what the firefighters are doing to keep them safe.