UNITED STATES

The Rim Fire, raging through Yosemite National Park, is “the highest priority fire in the country right now because of its location, because Yosemite National Park is at risk. It’s not just a national treasure, it’s a world treasure,” says Dick Fleishman of the U.S. Forest Service.

In addition to Yosemite itself, the threat the Rim Fire poses to water and electricity resources in the Bay Area has led California Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency for San Francisco. (USA Today)

Use our resources to better understand the Rim Fire and how it may impact San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area.

Discussion Ideas

• Have students study the map of the Rim Fire at the bottom of the USA Today article. Then, look at our MapMaker Interactive focused on Yosemite National Park. Have students use the drawing tools in the second tab of the MapMaker Interactive to estimate the size and location of the Rim Fire, and create their own map.
  • Looking at their map, why do students think Yosemite National Park is able to stay open?
    • The Rim Fire does not threaten Yosemite Valley, home to some of the most popular tourist areas in the national park, such as the rock formations of Half Dome and El Capitan.

• One of the reasons the Rim Fire is so dangerous is the threat it poses to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Have students switch the MapMaker Interactive to the “NatGeo” map view. (This view identifies Hetch Hetchy.) Why do students think the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is so important?
  • It’s the major water and power source for the San Francisco Bay Area, almost directly west of the reservoir. Have students use the drawing tools or markers in the MapMaker Interactive to trace the flow of water from Hetch Hetchy to San Francisco. Take a look at this spectacular satellite image of the fire for more perspective.

• Officials say the concerns about threats to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir are “mostly about the power lines and water quality.” How do students think the Rim Fire threatens electricity and water for homes, hospitals, schools, and businesses in the Bay Area?
  • Electricity: It’s an economic concern. According to the article, San Francisco’s electricity supply is not at risk. If the hydroelectric facilities at Hetch Hetchy are damaged—two of three have already been shut down—the city will simply be forced to purchase electricity from the state’s electric grid. It has already spent $600,000 in supplemental power.
  • Water: San Francisco has agreements in place to get water from other reservoirs owned by neighboring counties. These are emergency agreements, however, and both San Francisco and the counties sharing their water may be forced to conserve.

• The O’Shaughnessy Dam, which creates the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, has been controversial since its construction in 1913. Read more about Hetch Hetchy in our encyclopedic entry on hydroelectric energy. Do students think the Rim Fire put the O’Shaughnessy Dam at risk?
  • No. The USA Today article says the dam itself is “a massive concrete structure and won’t be harmed.”