Officials say situation is improving
A raging fire inside Sierra National Forest has now charred nearly 18,000 acres of land, officials said, but firefighters are steadily making progress and have contained almost half of the inferno.
The Aspen fire — located about 75 miles northeast of Fresno — has grown in size and strength since a lightning strike sparked it on July 22.
Fire information officer Ron Mackie said the fire is about 45 percent contained and crews are still working around the clock to control the flames.
“We’ve got a great team up here,” Mackie said. “They’re really experienced and have made good progress.” ...