More than two weeks after a destructive wildfire scorched the wooded areas and a dozen homes near Sacramento, the U.S Forest Service reopened some wilderness areas that were closed because of the King Fire in Sierra Nevada foothills.
Also on Wednesday, Cal Fire reported the fire, which has now scored 97,000 acres in the Pollock Pines region was 94 percent contained. Full containment is expected on Saturday.
Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree said the the Rubicon Trail, Wrights Lake and Desolation Wilderness are among the recreation areas that have opened. She plans to open more of the Eldorado National Forest soon.
“Although fire crews have nearly contained the King Fire, it is still active, and there are a lot of firefighting resources still in the area,” Crabtree said in a statement. “I intend to open more of the Forest to the public as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Some road and other recreation areas still remain closed. The fire was reported on Sept. 13 at 4:30 p.m.
A Santa Cruz area man charged with starting the fire, 37-year-old Wayne Allen Huntsman, was charged with arson. Prosecutors have not made public what evidence they have against him.
Huntsman has pleaded not guilty. A call to the public defender's office has gone unreturned.
