Fire near Yosemite 'growing exponentially' Residents flee blaze that has spared Yosemite so far - Labor Day weekend bluegrass festival is canceled

Fire crews set backfires to try to prevent the wildfire from crossing Ferretti Road in Groveland (Tuolumne County). The fire west of Yosemite has grown to 54,000 acres from 16,000 acres. Fire crews set backfires to try to prevent the wildfire from crossing Ferretti Road in Groveland (Tuolumne County). The fire west of Yosemite has grown to 54,000 acres from 16,000 acres. Photo: Michael Macor, San Francisco Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, San Francisco Chronicle Image 1 of / 68 Caption Close Fire near Yosemite 'growing exponentially' 1 / 68 Back to Gallery

Groveland, Tuolumne County --

The wildfire chewing up rugged land west of Yosemite National Park raged out of control Thursday, forcing hundreds of residents and visitors to clear out and authorities to cancel a popular bluegrass music festival planned for the Labor Day weekend.

As firefighters focused on protecting the small communities of Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake, officials gave a grim estimate of containment - 1 percent, down from 5 percent the day before. In all, the Rim Fire covered more than 98 square miles, making it one of the biggest blazes in the nation.

Facing dried-out hills, gusty canyon winds and nearly inaccessible terrain, a growing team of 1,800 firefighters struggled to make headway against the inferno, which began Saturday in a remote part of the Stanislaus National Forest near Groveland, a town of 600. The cause remains unknown.

About 2,500 structures remained threatened Thursday evening - nine structures have been destroyed so far - and the sky remained dark with smoke and ash. Some schools have been shut down for the week.

Highway 120, one of three main approaches to Yosemite from the west, was shut down near Groveland, and while the national park remains open and mostly smoke-free, officials said they were considering closing wilderness areas in the lower, western portion of park.

Gov. Jerry Brown issued a state of emergency in Tuolumne County on Thursday, a declaration that helps free up money and resources to fight the blaze. Brown acted after the fire's size rose sharply to 54,000 acres, up from an estimate of 16,000 acres the day before. The total late Thursday was 63,366.

"It's growing exponentially," said Jerry Snyder, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire found a new victim as well: the five-day Strawberry Music Festival, a bluegrass get-together that is one of the area's biggest events. Thousands of people flock to Camp Mather, San Francisco's campground outside Yosemite, twice a year - on Memorial and Labor Day weekends. They camp out, sing along to acts, and play their own music.

But organizers wrote Thursday on their website that Tuolumne County officials had ruled the event could not begin as scheduled Aug. 29 because of "the potential adverse effects of the wildfire on public health, safety and welfare."

Bad news for fans, locals

County Supervisor Karl Rodefer said local leaders not only wanted to keep festivalgoers out of harm's way, but also had to make sure roads weren't congested, impeding access for fire crews and their vehicles.

"There's limited road infrastructure, and we're using a great deal of that to move fire-suppression equipment around," Rodefer said in an interview.

Both locals and people who had planned to attend were bummed out. Merced resident Richard Duran, 58, who has attended the festival with his family twice a year for nearly a quarter century, said he won't be able to catch up with longtime friends.

His 17-year-old daughter, Jenny, sent him a text message Thursday with "one of those happy faces, but it was frowning and had tears on it," Duran said.

His other daughter, 25-year-old Alyssa, said, "That place is so special. I learned to ride a bike there. You can borrow someone's bike there without telling them and no one worries about whether you'll bring it back."

Brian Pladsen, a 60-year-old Groveland resident who has driven a truck for the event each year since 1985, said the cancellation was bad news for his community.

"It's going to have a big impact here," he said. "It's 6,000 people coming through that stop at these coffee shops, these restaurants, get this gas."

Camp Mather abandoned

The fire had not actually reached Camp Mather, where the air still smelled of pine Thursday and cows grazed happily along the road leading to its gate. But campers were gone, having cleared out quickly after the fire ignited.

Firefighters painted the camp's buildings with fire retardant and cleared out excess brush in preparation for flames. Paddles sat askew on a pingpong table and personal belongings had been piled on a paved basketball court in a bid to save them from burning.

The blaze had already rolled through nearby Camp Tawonga and the Spinning Wheel vacation cabins, Forest Service officials said. Minimal damage was reported.

San Francisco officials were inspecting city-run transmission lines in the area where the fire had been. The lines, which send hydroelectric power from the O'Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to the city, have been shut down, and the city has been getting electricity from other sources.

City officials also are monitoring water quality at the reservoir to make sure ash doesn't pollute the municipal water supply.

National priority

The Forest Service has made the Rim Fire - one of 52 major fires nationwide - a top priority, meaning additional fire crews and aircraft have been called in. It's expected to burn well into the fall, even after it's contained.

While Yosemite's Big Oak Flat Entrance on Highway 120 is closed because of the blaze, park officials reported little sign of fire in the park. Those wanting to visit are advised to use Highway 140 from Modesto or Highway 41 from Fresno.

"Yosemite Valley is actually really clear," said park spokeswoman Kari Cobb. "It's not smoky at all."