Mysterious underground fire has been burning near Yosemite for 5 years
For at least five years, a fire has been burning underground in the Stanislaus Forest west of Yosemite, and foresters say they have no idea what started it or exactly how big it is.
The blaze is smoldering near Rosasco Meadow, roughly seven miles west of Yosemite National Park and 12 miles southwest of the town of Twain Harte. It lies under terrain scorched by the massive Rim Fire in 2013.
Groveland District Ranger Jim Junette, who oversees the Stanislaus Forest's southern area, told the Modesto Bee last week that that rangers are baffled by fire, which has consumed tree roots in a circular area with a 400-foot diameter. Junette said they aren't sure how deep the fire goes or what is fueling it because it's too dangerous to get a close look.
In 2015, the Union Democrat reported that the "Rosasco Fire," described by the Forest Service as a "holdover heat signature from the Rim Fire," was burning over 3.4 acres. The article did not mention it being underground.
Junette said wildfires sometimes flare up after a year, but never this long. He ruled out lightning as a possible ignition cause after checking weather records.
An old logging railroad grade winds by to the east of Rosasco Meadow. Junette told the Bee that it's possible that the remains of creosote-treated ties could be a fuel source for the fire.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mysterious-underground-fire-has-been-burning-near-yosemite-for-5-years/ar-AAH5Wjc?li=BBnb7Kz
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