Crews continue to make progress against a blaze that has charred more than 22,000 acres of the Sierra National Forest, an update from the U.S. Forest Service said Friday.
Containment of the Aspen Fire — less than 55 miles east-northeast of Madera — reached 85 percent Friday, an increase of five percent from Thursday.
More than 300 personnel were sent home in that same time period, the update said, leaving 912 firefighters to combat the flames.
The cost of fighting the wildfire increased to $27.8 million, the update reported. The conflagration was sparked by a lightning strike on July 22...