Mountain View Firefighters Deployed to Fight Rim Fire

Written by Claudia Cruz

Four Mountain View firefighters will assist in the efforts to protect structures from the Rim Fire currently burning in the Stanislaus National Forest, a department spokesperson confirmed.

Deployed on Saturday Mountain View Fire Engine 7—along with engines from Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose, County Fire, and a Strike Team Leader from Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety—will help battle the wild fire that has grown to 143,980 acres by Sunday, remains only 7 percent contained and has burned the Berkeley Tuolumne Family Camp, according to forest service spokesman Dick Fleishman.

More than 2,500 firefighters have been deployed to battle the Rim Fire that still threatens more than 4,500 homes and continues to grow since it started Aug. 17.

The fire has damaged San Francisco power and utility lines in the area and threatens the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies water to much of the Bay Area including Mountain View, utility officials warn.

However, as of Sunday the water supply remained safe, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

The Rim Fire has become California's 15th largest blaze in the state's recorded history, Cal Fire said.

So far the blaze has not reached Hetch Hetchy Reservoir or caused any damage to O'Shaugnessy Dam, according to the SFPUC.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Additional reporting by Bay City News