Some Smoke But Everything OK For Now

Since the NPS website isn’t responding now I can’t link you back to the press release but there is a fire in the park up by El Capitan and Ribbon Creek. It has been decided that the fire should be suppressed rather than allowed to burn as many of the fires in Yosemite are and crews are already working on getting it under control. I’ll try to post more info as I get it. Right now the fire does not pose a threat to any structures or in any way impact visitors so don’t change your plans just yet.

Here’s some more information from the SF Gate (the San Francisco Chronicle).

SF Gate: A wildfire burning within sight of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park has scorched more than 350 acres and could grow, but so far has had minimal impact on the park and its visitors, officials said.

The fire started Monday afternoon between Ribbon Creek and El Capitan It is burning lodge pine and red fir trees in an area about 1-1/2 miles west of El Capitan marked by exposed granite and other barriers that makes firefighting tricky, said park spokeswoman Adrienne Freeman. The area, at an elevation of 7,000 feet, has not burned in many years and is thick with underbrush, so firefighters expect the blaze to grow, Freeman said.

The fire has sent a plume of smoke billowing to the northeast that can be seen from the floor of Yosemite Valley, but it has not affected visibility within the park. Authorities closed the El Capitan Trail as it runs north-south from Tamarack Flats to the summit, but visitors can access the peak from other trails, including the Yosemite Creek Trail, Freeman said.

If you have photos of the fire you’d like to share please feel free to send them my way. You can either link them from Flickr or send the file directly to my email at: photos@yosemiteblog.com.