Credit: Sierra National Forest
August 15, 2018 -
Incident Start Date:
7/13/2018 Cause: Under Investigation Size: 96,810 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: 35 Water Tenders: 4 Helicopters: 3 Crews: 6 Dozers: 14 Masticators: 2 Total Personnel: 826
Current Situation:
South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team is managing the Ferguson Fire as of 6 AM this morning. The fire remains in Unified Command between the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. Firefighters are monitoring the progress of the fire backing down the canyon slope between Wawona Road and the Merced River near Elephant Rock. As the fire burns away from the containment lines the threats of spot fires outside the established hand line will diminish. Suppression repair efforts continue on the remaining portions of the fire perimeter. The main effort of the repair group is to mitigate the effects of suppression. This may include repairing dozer and hand line, using heavy equipment to build water bars, bring in berms and vegetation.
Yosemite Valley Re-Opened to the Public: Yosemite Valley is only accessible from Highway 140 and Highway 120. Wawona and Mariposa Grove are only accessible from Highway 41. As visitors and residents return to the area, they may continue to see visible smoke within the perimeter of the fire. Fire equipment and personnel are sharing the road with park visitors. Please drive defensively and slow down when approaching fire equipment parked along park roads and turnouts.
Smokey 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. More detailed information can be found at tools.airfire.org/outlooks/YosemiteArea.
Visitor Information:
Visitors to the area should be mindful of 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. 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 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. https://www.nps.gov/yose
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.
