Firing Operations Along Highway 41 on Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Credit: USFS
August 10, 2018 -
Incident Start Date: 7/13/2018 Cause: Under Investigation Size: 95,544 acres Containment: 80%
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: 104 Water Tenders: 14 Helicopters: 14 Crews: 17 Dozers: 20 Masticators: 5 Total Personnel: 1,532
Current Situation: Containment has increased to 80 percent. Firefighters are progressing towards full containment with the objective of keeping the fire out of Yosemite Valley. The final piece that must be secured remains between El Portal Road and Wawona Road. To secure this line, firefighters are implementing tactical burning operations along Wawona road north towards Turtle Dome. This operation is expected to take two or three days to complete. Night and day resources are focused on this operation. Progression will be slow and deliberate, when safe, due to the extremely dry vegetation and potential for spotting into the Grouse Creek Drainage. Aerial support from helicopters will assist firefighters on the ground to cool the fire and reduce the risk of fire spotting across the fire line.
Elsewhere on the fire, crews are patrolling the contained fire line. Suppression repair recourses are working to remove signs of suppression activity and prevent erosion.
Weather: Temperatures today will range between 97 and 106. However, relative humidity will be between 12 and 22 percent, slightly higher than previous days. This will be advantageous to firefighting efforts. The inversion will be present this morning. The smoke is not expected to clear until early afternoon.
Closures and Restrictions:
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.
Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Valley, Wawona Road, the Mariposa and Merced groves of giant sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, among other areas, are closed. For more information, go to nps.gov/yose or call 209-372-0200.
Road Closures:
Highway 140 (El Portal Road) east from the entrance of Yosemite National Park
Wawona Road open to Yosemite West.
Yosemite Valley
Evacuations:
Yosemite Valley (Residence and Employees only were allowed to enter at 10 AM, August 8, 2018)
Area Opportunities: The unique Gateway Communities of Yosemite National Park are open for visitors. The Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests have abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Yosemite’s Tioga Road is open through the Park, including Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, White Wolf Campground, Soda Spring, Tenaya Lake, and Lembert Dome.
