Yosemite Blog

Category: Fire

  • More Lightning Sparked Fires in Yosemite

    Wilderness Zone: Dark Hole Fire (37 50.721 X 119 36.633, Mariposa County) started May 26. This lightning-caused fire is located near the Yosemite Creek Campground access road and is currently approximately 1/10th of an acre. It is being managed for multiple objectives, including resource benefit, smoke considerations, and cost effectiveness. This fire is smoldering in…

  • Summer Fires Already Burning Around Yosemite

    This years early spring brought with it an unwelcome guest, an early fire season. This year the Sierra is extremely dry and already there are fires burning in and around Yosemite. The three fires listed below started the afternoon of May 18th when a monsoonal flow brought a mass of unstable air over the Sierra.…

  • Fire Season Officially Over for Yosemite *WHEW*!

    With recent wet weather dampening everything in sight, fire season in Yosemite is officially over. National Park Service: The fire season concludes this year with a number of projects successfully completed, including those which significantly protect communities in and around Yosemite. In April, 1,124 acres were burned immediately adjacent to the community of Wawona, and…

  • Pardon the Smoke

    The National Park Service is continuing with the prescribed burn project near Wawona. Roughly 1000 acres are expected to be burnt beginning in small 50 acre per day parcels. Burning will continue throughout the week as weather conditions hold out. The objective of this burn is to create defensible fire space around Wawona. The first…

  • Photo of the Day: Burn by Edie Howe-Byrne

    Today’s Photo of the Day is one of a collection that Edie took the other night of the controlled burn taking place in Yosemite Valley just west of El Capitan. Beautiful stuff, Edie. Be sure to check out the whole collection on Flickr and then head over to Edie’s site LittleRedTent.net. Photo by Edie Howe-Byrne…

  • Fall Prescribed Burns Starting September 16th

    The National Park Service will start the fall season of prescribed burns in Yosemite Valley and surrounding areas to remove fuels that can lead to much more destructive fires. The burns are slated to begin on September 16th weather permitting. Smoke and particulate matter from the fires may cause eye and throat irritation.

  • Clouds Fire Burning By Half Dome and John Muir Trail

    The Clouds Fire just off the John Muir trail near Half Dome and Moraine Dome is currently 3/4 of an acre. The fire appears to have been caused by visitors and, in keeping with NPS policy, will be suppressed. No trail closures at this time. Trail monitors are in place to monitor the fire’s growth.…

  • Telegraph Fire 95% Contained – Still Minor Delays on 140

    CalFire map shows just how close the Telegraph Fire got to Yosemite. Total cost of the fire is expected to be over $32 million. So with the Telegraph Fire 95% contained an immense amount of human resources and equipment were expended to fight the fire and keep it from spreading. Here’s a tally to date…

  • Telegraph Fire over 45% Contained

    The Telegraph Fire is now about 45% contained and burning North and East into the Stanislaus National Forest. Most of the evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes. To date the fire has charred more than 33,705 acres and cost the state more than $10.6 million. The California National Guard joined the fight…

  • Telegraph Fire Moving North – 40% Contained

    The Telegraph Fire has switched direction and is moving north into the Stanislaus National Forest tonight even as evacuees are being allowed back into their homes in some areas. The fire is now 40% contained and has so far destroyed about 25 homes and out buildings. Thankfully most of the injuries sustained have been minor…