Firing operation along Highway 41 on August 10, 2018
Credit: Stuart Palley for USFS
Incident Start Date:
7/13/2018 Cause: Under Investigation Size: 96,824 acres Containment: 87%
Incident Type: Full Suppression Vegetation Type: Brush and timber
Unified Command Agencies: U.S Forest Service, National Park Service and Interagency Command Team 3
Resources Assigned: Engines: 39 Water Tenders: 3 Helicopters: 3 Crews: 7 Dozers: 11 Masticators: 3 Total Personnel: 833
Current Situation:
Firefighters continue to work diligently to meet containment objectives on a small portion of the line near Elephant Rock and Turtleback Dome (between Wawona Road and the Merced River). While fire lines are in place and holding, the fire continues to slowly back down towards the Merced River. Suppression repair efforts continue on the remaining portions of the fire perimeter which includes repairing dozer and hand line, using equipment to build water bars, bring in berms and vegetation. Estimated incident full containment date has changed to August 22, 2018.
BAER Teams:
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams have arrived and are continuing to asses the burned areas on Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests and Yosemite National Park. The BAER teams determine the level of potential risk as well as the appropriate and effective emergency stabilization measures needed in order to help reduce the risk from potential flooding and debris flows.
Smoky Conditions Remain in the Area: Smoke and fire, like wind and waterfalls are parts of Yosemite’s natural environment. Mornings can be smoky and unhealthy when fires are burning in the area. Smoke conditions improve with elevation and distance away from the fire area. Information that is more detailed can be found at tools.airfire.org/outlooks/YosemiteArea.
Visitor Information:
Visitors to the area should be mindful of posted speed limits when driving and watch out for firefighters, equipment, and road construction delays. For information regarding visiting Yosemite Park call (209) 372-0200 or visit the Yosemite National Park website https://www.nps.gov/yose for current park conditions. To determine how the smoke is affecting the visual quality in Yosemite, visit the following link to view several webcams that provide panoramic views of the park. https://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/webcams
The unique gateway communities of Yosemite National Park are open for visitors, including Bass Lake, south of Yosemite on Highway 41. The Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests have abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.
Closures and Restrictions:
Road and Trail Closures:
- Wawona Road to Yosemite Valley (Residents, employees, contractors, and those with reservations only to Yosemite West.)
- Glacier Point Road
- Pohono Trail along the south rim of Yosemite Valley is closed at Tunnel View
Yosemite National Park:
Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect.
U.S Forest Service: A closure order is in effect Groveland Ranger District in the vicinity of the Ferguson Fire on the Stanislaus National Forest.
The Sierra National Forest Closure due to the Ferguson Fire can be found at the Sierra National Forest website.
