Oct 13, 2008 7:27 pm US/Pacific
250+ Firefighters Help Contain Angel Island Fire
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ―
Firefighters almost completely extinguished a wildfire that scorched more than half of San Francisco Bay's largest island, and were busy putting out the final hot spots.
The blaze on Angel Island charred 380 acres since it started Sunday, and fire officials expected it to be fully contained by Tuesday evening.
"Firefighters have initiated the mop up and are extinguishing the remaining hot spots," said Marin County Fire spokesman Mike Giannini.
More than 250 firefighters, about 20 fire engines and other equipment were ferried to the 740-acre island by boat and barge to corral the blaze. No injuries have been reported.
The wildfire started near some campsites and forced the evacuation of about 30 campers Sunday night, officials said. The cause is still under investigation.
The island off Marin County is home to more than 120 historical structures, including a military garrison built during the Civil War and an immigration station that was the first stop for millions of immigrants, mostly from China, in the early 1900s.
The fire destroyed one abandoned water tank, but none of the island's historical structures have been damaged, said park superintendent Dave Matthews. Power to the island had been cut off for safety reasons.
The island, which is a state park, would be closed to visitors for at least one to two weeks, Matthews said.
Officials said it was the largest wildfire on the island that they could remember. The last major fire burned 25 acres three years ago.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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