Rough Fire at nearly 52,000 acres, 17 percent containment

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Rough Fire continues to grow. It has burned nearly 52,000 acres, and containment stands at 17 percent. Meanwhile, firefighters are posting video of the front lines, and a Christian camp has been forced to cancel a huge fundraiser.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ROUGH FIRE INFORMATION

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The Rough Fire at night is dark, smoky and dangerous. Mark Cortes, a firefighter from Tulare County recorded video of a close call. A tree fell; it almost clocked him and missed the engine by inches.

In the daytime, there is still a lot of smoke, enough to keep trails and campgrounds closed. Dathan Brown, the director of Hume Lake Christian Camps, is keeping track of it from Fresno. "It's pretty smoky," Brown said. "We're gonna have a lot of cleanup. We got a lot to do before we can have guests coming onto the campus."

It's been a tough summer for the camp. Even with flames moving away, it needs time to heal and money for repairs. A tree fell on a cabin, buildings are covered in fire retardant, and now, the camp's biggest fundraiser of the year, the Country Fair, has been canceled.

Brown said, "Hundreds of thousands is probably a little conservative, but it's going to cost a fair amount of money to put those pieces back together, and we trust God with that."

The camp has launched a campaign to raise money -- a donation page on the camp's website. Anyone willing to help can donate time and resources as well.

There's also video posted on the same page of firefighters on the front lines. One shows a father and son talking about their experience fighting the inferno together. In the video, Bob Plouffe said, "It's been a hard adventure, but one that I will look back for the rest of my life, fondly."

The people behind the fundraising campaign are in an office -- the war room, as they call it.

"Definitely a relief that the fire is not right on our doorstep," said Rich Ferreira with Hume Lake Christian Camps.

The camp might not be in danger anymore, but the fight is far from over.

The Country Fair has been Hume Lake Christian Camps' biggest fundraiser every year for nearly 50 years. Click here to make a donation.

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UPDATE - Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - 10::05 a.m.

INCIDENT OVERVIEW:

In the Wishon area, structure protection and hazard reduction efforts have been initiated by removing flammable materials against structures and removing dead and dying vegetation from around properties in the fire's path. Securing the protection of PG&E power grid facilities at Balch Camp and Black Rock remains a high priority.

Fire crews continue to construct dozer lines along the McKenzie Ridge, working from the intersection of Cherry Gap and Hwy 180. They also continue to prep forest roads and structures in the Buck Rock area. Direct fireline construction continues west of Kennedy Meadow.

The Rough Fire is using two helibases on the incident - one in Dunlap in the Southern Zone and one in Auberry in the Northern Zone to ensure rapid support of crews when the inversion layer lifts.

Crews are using MIST (minimal impact suppression tactics) wherever possible to protect the wildlife and natural beauty of the area.

Fire crews have begun to extinguish smoldering material along the fire's edge by ensuring logs/debris cannot roll across the fireline and to prevent sparks from escaping the fire's perimeter. The progress made around Hume Lake will allow crews to begin the process of removing excess hose and equipment from the area.

Closures:

Sierra National Forest issued a closure order for the Rough Fire area.

• The Hume Lake Ranger District, Jenny Lakes Wilderness and Monarch Wilderness, including Forest Road 12S01, 12S01E, and 12S19 in the Sequoia Highlands area of the Sequoia National Forest remain closed.



• McKinley Grove Rd. (11S40) is closed at Wishon Dam, including the 11S07.



• 10S24 is closed from the intersection of 11S91 to where it meets 11S40 at Buck Meadow.



• 11S12 Rd. (Salt Flat Rd.) is closed at McKinley Grove Rd.



• Trimmer Springs Road at Kirch Flat.



• Parts of the Grant Grove and Wilsonia areas of
  Kings Canyon National Park are now open. The
  General Grant Tree, Panoramic Point, John Muir
  Lodge, Grant Grove Cabins, Visitor Center, park
  trails, restaurant, market and gift shop are now
  open to residents and visitors.

CURRENT SITUATION:

Total Personnel: 1,984

Size: 51,794 acres

Percent of Perimeter Contained: 17 percent