Yosemite Fires – Update #29 – October 15, 2010

This update will sort out and provide information to all fires started by lightning during the week of October 4, 2010. The thunderstorms were accompanied with 2 to 4 inches of rain, and at higher elevations, snow. Sunday, October 10, was the first day of clear skies to allow helicopter reconnaissance. Of the 30 plus fires reported 10 have shown light smoke and are mostly smoldering in damp fuels; including the Slope and Vernon fires. Drier weather may increase the number of found fires and the fire potential at lower elevation wilderness and suppression zones fires. Although fire season was declared over on October 8, Yosemite fire crews are being retained for fire response. Attached to this update is a current fire spread sheet, describing the name, location, found date and extent of each fire.

July fires managed for forest restoration and have been monitored with little intervention by firefighters:

• Slope: (37 54.572 x 119 40.924; 6900’ el., Tuolumne Co). The Slope fire is approximately 1911 acres. This lightning caused fire began July 25. Fire Crew 7 has piled and burned heavy fuels along the Harden Lake road, and they are not expected to grow. There is little heat within the perimeter of the fire and has little potential to spread due to receiving nearly 4 inches of rain.
• Vernon: (37 59.813 x 119 43.618; approximately 7000’ el., Tuolumne Co.) The acreage is at 909. The fire was observed to have one log burning within the interior perimeter of the fire. Yosemite Fire Crew 7 is scheduled to obtain final fire acreages by hiking the perimeter with hand held GPS units. They will cut any logs across trails and remove any ‘trail closures” signs, and rehab the fire “spike camp.”
• The July, Tuolumne and Wildcat 2 fires are now out.

Cooperators include the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties and San Joaquin Valley County Air Pollution Control Districts.

All fire related trail closures have been lifted.

Weather: A cooling trend is predicted through the weekend, and a chance of precipitation beginning Monday, October 18. “The National Park Service manages wildland fire to protect the public, communities and infrastructure, conserve natural and cultural resources and restore and maintain ecological health.”

For Additional Information:

• Fire Information and Education Office: (209) 372-0480
• Current Yosemite Fire Activity Online: http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm
• Firenews: http://www.nps.gov/fire/public/pub_firenews.cfm
• Inciweb California: http://www.inciweb.org/state/5/
• NOAA satellite images of smoke: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm
• USGS regional webcam images of smoke movement: http://sierrafire.cr.usgs.gov/swifers/pages/WebCam.htm