Barbara

This huge fire is only 7% contained and continues to grow. It now covers 27, 129 acres. Highway 140 and the Arch Rock Park entrance are closed. A large area arround El Portal is under a mandatory evacuation order including tourist hotels Cedar Lodge and Yosemite View. Today, a new mandatory evacuation order was ordered for the private resort community Yosemite West. Inside the Park, Glacier Point Road is closed until further notice due to fire operations. The Valley is filled with smoke and the air is very unhealthy.

I hope any Fodorites who were/are in or around Yosemite are safe.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5927/

MichelleY

I was at Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe on Wednesday. At 9 am, one could see the smoke off towards South Shore. By 2 pm, the whole Lake Tahoe area was sucked in with smoke. Yesterday we took a ride from Reno to Fallon toYerington, then back up they the Carson Valley. Lots of smoke.

MichelleY

Smokey Lake Tahoe 7/18/18
Usually surrounded by mountains. Lake Tahoe covered in smoke.

janisj

Not sure if this will work . . . but . . . here is the normal view from MichelleY's vantage point

. . . well that was a bust. I'll look for a different image

janisj

take 2:
Sand Harbor beach without smoke . . .

Barbara

And..I just read on the Yosemite Park web site that the Tioga Pass is closed due to a rockslide.

"Highway 120 between Tioga Pass and five miles west of US 395/Lee Vining is closed due to a rockslide. Highway 120 west of Yosemite (Big Oak Flat Entrance) is open, as is Tioga Road from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass."

mlgb

Tioga Pass reopened last night. Of course they cleared it immediately. They need to keep two access points open. Don't rely on the Yosemite Park website for the most current information.. Sierra News Online does a better job.

https://sierranewsonline.com/highway...to-rock-slide/

If you want to monitor smoke in the Valley for future trips, try the webcams

https://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/webcams

Barbara

It's lucky that they were able to clear it immediately. I hope it stays clear.

Barbara

The fire has grown to 33, 743 acres. It is 13% contained. Old Yosemite Road has been added to the list of mandatory evacuation areas.

The weather is very hot, with temperatures possibly rising to 105F by Wednesday. The terrain is extremely rugged and mountainous, making it hard for the over 3000 firefighters to get to where they need to be.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5927#

wtm003

I have a camping reservation, starting two weeks from today, in Yosemite. I was really looking forward to this trip and can't bring myself to cancel it yet, but know it likely won't happen. It's also been hot and smoky in CO this summer from several wildfires.

Thanks for the links and updates. Such awful conditions for the firefighters. Praying there isn't anymore loss of life.

MmePerdu

Last Wed. I drove to the adjacent county with my granddaughters and on arrival the smoke was so thick I called to cancel our cabin and returned home. I have experience living with Sierra smoke but had never felt I needed to escape it. It will depend entirely on wind direction so there’s no way to know in advance what your experience will be. Maybe devise a back-up plan, just in case.

Barbara

Encouraging news. while the fire now covers 36,587 acres, it is 25% contained.

Today at 11:00 a.m., the Unified Commanders, CAL FIRE, US Forest Service and Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, will host a community meeting to discuss the current Ferguson Fire situation. Officials will present an overview of the current status of the fire and actions being taken to stop its spread. Current maps of the fire will be available, as well as other handouts. Officials will be available to answer questions. Meeting will take place at the Yosemite Valley Auditorium 9035 Village Drive Yosemite National Park, CA 95389. Parking is available along Village Drive or in the Yosemite Village Parking Area.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5927/

mlgb

You can watch the fire briefings on Facebook when they are posted.
Search in Facebook for CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced

Then click "Videos"


I tried to post the link but it won't take...

The way I interpret their plan of attack, they may be using Wawona Rd which leads to the south entrance to the park in the future, to establish a line of defense on the southeast flank. Some of the terrain is too steep so they have to let it burn. Stay tuned if you have a trip in the coming weeks.

wtm003

Glad to see there's been some progress containing the fire. I found and I'm now following the updates on Facebook. Thanks! We were planning on exiting the park via Wawona Rd. so I appreciate the info. Awful fire fighting weather this week!

mlgb

Yeah, I was right.. the below is from Fresno ABC channel....
I do not yet see today's briefing video but they must have sent a reporter.... It appears that they will be closing a stretch of Wawona road over the next several days and are asking people to leave.


Officials said that Wawona to Yosemite Valley will be closed starting noon on Wednesday. Visitors and campers at the park are being asked to leave.

Guests can exit the park using Highway 120 and 41.

Officials said the temporary closure is expected to last until Sunday, July 29, 2018. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is also closed.

A firebreak being set up off of highway 41 also plays a factor in the park closure, officials said that safety is a concern.

For employees that cannot evacuate there will be limited services available and a cooling center for residents to get fresh air and escape the smoke.

If you have reserved a campground, officials said will be refunded and should receive a call regarding your campground reservation. It is not known if hotel guests will receive any refunds.

#Yosemite Park officials confirm Hwy 41 and Wawona to the Valley floor will close tomorrow at noon. People in hotels and campgrounds will have to leave. @ABC30
— Nathalie Granda (@NathalieABC30) July 24, 2018

Fire officials say shutting down Hwy 41 could become a possibility in order to create fire breaks & prevent spread of #FergusonFire @ABC30
— Nathalie Granda (@NathalieABC30) July 24, 2018

It’s a full house at the community meeting in #Yosemite National Park. Fire and Forest officials are going to discuss the latest with the #FergusonFire, along with how they plan to attack the fire. @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/DKCB3Hlx1B

mlgb

Sierra News Online also added coverage

https://sierranewsonline.com/portion...ferguson-fire/

Barbara

I'm glad they're doing that now. I've been anxiously wondering how they could evacuate all those people safely if the fire suddenly leaps forward, as they can and often do.

J62

This is posted on the NPS website

Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Mariposa Grove closing on July 25

Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Mariposa Grove are closed at least July 25–July 29 due to fire operations. South Entrance will be also closed. Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows, including Big Oak Flat and Tioga Pass entrances, and Hetch Hetchy remain open.

Jean

... because of ongoing fire fighting operations and unsafe air quality.

Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Mariposa Grove areas have been evacuated and are closed until at least Sunday, July 29th. Tioga Road, the Tioga Pass entrance, Tuolumne Meadows and Hetch Hetchy are open. Check for other road closures and current conditions on the website.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Sorry if you traveled halfway around the world and made lodging reservations a year ago....

Barbara

Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park