End in sight for expansion of the Rim fire

The Rim fire's toll in the Sierra Nevada is now 192,466 acres burned, including more than 40,000 acres inside the western boundary of Yosemite National Park. But the front line of the flames has stopped expanding as fast, weather conditions have become more favorable, and a Cal Fire spokesman said officials now expect containment by around Sept. 10. The fire is 30 percent contained tonight, officials said.

The fire effort today included an unpiloted MQ-1 drone aircraft from the California Air National Guard. The drone flies over the fire zone transmitting images of hot spots back to the incident commanders.

The last official update for the night said that firefighters used aerial ignitions earlier today to set backfires along Pilot Ridge on the southern portion of the fire. But plans to set backfires from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir south to Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park did not occur due to adverse weather conditions for keeping the flames under control.

Yosemite today also revised its information about closures and restrictions on the use of fires in the backcountry. The Tioga Road remains closed through the Labor Day holiday, meaning that Tuolumne Meadows cannot be reached from the Yosemite Valley side of the park, and the valley cannot be reached from the Lee Vining entrance or the Eastern Sierra communities along U.S. Highway 395.

Crew from NBC 4 sets up for a report from Yosemite. Dennis Lahti on Facebook.