The Rim Fire in California continues to burn after more than a month of flames have claimed 402 square miles of land in and around Yosemite National Park.
The blaze remained around 80 percent contained throughout last week and as of Monday afternoon Incident Information System (InciWeb), the online information source for wildfires in the western US, reported the Rim Fire at 84 percent contained.
Fire officials initially estimated the conflagration would be fully contained by Sept. 20, but that estimate has since been revised to Oct. 1, citing the "continued spread of fire into the wilderness areas."
The growth potential of the fire has been downgraded to "medium," marked progress from the "extreme" rating it held for most of August.
While the fire is expected to be fully contained by the end of the month, it will not be fully extinguished until the winter brings rain and snow.
Fire suppression activity was bolstered over the weekend by half an inch of rain. Cooler temperatures and high humidity Monday will assist in fire suppression.
Before the winter wet season arrives, scientists are rushing to study the effects of the fire. Especially concerning is that the deeply charred soils in the Stanislaus National Forest have been shown to repel water rather than absorb it. A winter deluge could potentially send dirt, rocks and ash rushing down hillsides and cause erosion, according to a report by the San Jose Mercury News.
Computer models of water runoff estimate that flow could more than quadruple from 80 cubic feet to 380 cubic feet, the Mercury News reported. The resulting erosion is worrisome.
"For the fish and wildlife in those creeks and rivers, it could be a major concern," Eric Wesselman, executive director of the Tuolumne River Trust, told the Mercury News. "And this is the playground for millions of people, with special campgrounds, hiking trails and swimming holes, used for many years."