Yosemite National Park Empire Fire burning in the Illilouette Basin
Posted on: 10/18/17 09:38 a.m. Source: NPS
October 18, 2017 - Due to a very dry air mass over Yosemite during mid October, fire activity has increased on the NE portion of the Empire fire.
Active fire and smoke can be seen from Glacier Point Road.
Additional smoke production combined with stable air mass will impact Yosemite Valley during the early morning hours.
Normal daytime heating will help clear smoke impacts starting around noon each day.
| Current as of | 10/18/2017, 8:02:46 AM |
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| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning/natural |
| Date of Origin | Tuesday August 01st, 2017 approx. 08:45 AM |
| Location | The most visible activity is located on the NE side of the fire near Mono Meadows to the east of Glacier Point Road. |
| Incident Commander | Russell Mitchell ICT4 |
| Incident Description | Resource And Protection Objectives |
Current Situation
| Size | 7,000 Acres |
|---|---|
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 85% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Thursday November 30th, 2017 approx. 06:00 PM |
| Fuels Involved | Red Fir Timber (Litter and Understory), Dormant Brush, Hardwood Slash Pockets of green leaf manzanita and chinquapin brush as well as heavy dead and down material |
| Significant Events | The following trail and area closures are in place until further notice: • Bridalveil Campground • Ostrander Trail • Bridalveil Trail • Alder Creek Trail • Mono Meadow Trail • Turner Meadow Trail All closed trailheads and junctions will be posted with a trail closure order and map. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Continue to monitor fire with ground crews and air resources as needed. |
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| Remarks | Local resources are assigned to both the Empire and South Fork fires. These resources are primarily IA resources for Yosemite National Park and are secondarily supporting the Empire and South Fork operations when needed. |
Current Weather
| Weather Concerns | A warming and drying trend will continue through Saturday under a building high pressure system. This will cause the fire to increase activity in heavy pockets of fuel which will produce more smoke and settle into Yosemite's Valleys and drainages at night and into the morning. Smoke will be present until the inversion layer breaks in the morning as temperatures increase. This warming and drying trend will continue through Sunday and then bring cooler conditions to the district for the early part of next week. No precipitation is expected during this period. |
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