Telegraph Fire Reaches 95 Percent Containment

Mariposa, CA — According to CAL Fire officials the 34,091 (53 square mile) Telegraph Fire has reached 95 percent containment as of 2:30 Sunday afternoon.

100 percent containment of the 10 day old fire is now scheduled for Monday, August 4. Hwy 140 remains subject to brief traffic delays north of Midpines and south of El Portal.

All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted as of 10pm Saturday, August 2. The Evac. Center at Mariposa Elementary School has been closed. A local Red Cross Assistance and Distribution Center has been established at the Midpines Community Center.

Community meetings and daily media briefings have been terminated by CAL Fire, the Mariposa County Fire Department and the Mariposa County Sheriff´s Department.

Resources are quickly being reassigned or sent home. Sunday there were only 75 hand crews on site along with 260 engines (from a high last week of over 450), 44 water tenders, 27 dozers, nine helicopters and four air tankers. Total personnel on site has been reduced from close to 4,500 last week to 3,171.

Cost of fighting the Telegraph Fire to date; $32,090,376.

Written by Bill Johnson