Smoke Over Bay Area's Water In Yosemite Lingers

The air is hazy, but the water's just fine.

Lingering haze from smoke is proof that the Rim Fire -- the third-largest wildfire in California history -- swept through the vicinity of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

The fire burned nearly 250,000 acres since it began Aug. 17, including the southern edge of the main holding area for 85 percent of the water supplied to 2.6 million customers in the Bay Area.

The area is still burning -- puffs of smoke from spot fires are on the northern edge, and the entire reservoir remains closed to the public until further notice.

In the meantime, water quality is still high -- barely changed since before the fire began.

The wintertime will present the biggest challenge, the newspaper reported. Areas where vegetation has burned away will be most susceptible to landslides.