CAL Fire Wraps Telegraph Fire
Mariposa, CA — CAL Fire´s Incident Command Team officially closed the 34,091 acre (53 square mile) Telegraph Fire at 11am today.
According to Spokesperson Cheryl Goetz the Incident Command Team handed control of the fire over to the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Fire Prevention Bureau,
On site today are 336 personnel including a half-a-dozen hand crews, 23 engines, 12 water tenders, four dozers and two helicopters. Those numbers are certainly a far cry from the August 1 totals of 4,541 personnel, 95 hand crews, 575 engines, 55 water tenders, 65 dozers, 16 helicopters and 12 air tankers.
Goetz commented that she has been impressed by how well so many agencies worked together in a coordinated effort. In addition she was very thankful for the extremely postive response of the local residents.
The Telegraph Fire started at 3:10pm, Friday, July 25. It was a target shooting incident that ignited the dry fuels in the Merced River Drainage.
Overall 30 structures and 100 outbuildings were destroyed. The cost of fighting the fire now stands at $37,620,588.
Written by Bill Johnson
