Current Status of all Fires Burning in the Park

Avalanche Fire: A lightning caused fire in congressionally designated Wilderness near the vicinity of Chinquapin. 1068 acres and controlled and in patrol status. Within the confines of Glacier Point, Wawona, and Old Glacier Point Roads. Light smoke continues to be visible at the top of Avalanche Creek.

Hodgdon Fire Prescribed Fire: Light smoke continues to be visible as the fire continues to smolder within the fire perimeter. This fire is in patrol status.

New Fires: Helicopter 551 discovered two new fires in Mariposa County on September 2, 2011, while searching for a missing hiker between Vogelsang and Merced High Sierra camps. They are remote lighting caused hold over fires that started on Friday August 26, 2011. The strike trees have been identified. Yosemite Fire Crew 6 has hiked into the fire areas and is monitoring both fires.

Quartzite Fire: Approximately 1 mile south of Merced Lake is smoldering in one log, surrounded by granite and has low potential for growth.

Adair Fire: Approximately 2 miles west of Washburn Lake, 3 acres in size, and burning and smoldering in red fir needle cast and forest duff. Moderate potential for growth, in a pocket of forest surrounded by granite.

Fall Prescribed Fires: Three prescribed fire burn projects are being prepared for the fall: Two Yosemite Valley projects and one large landscape project Soupbowl, Wawona NW or Bishop Creek are being considered by park fire managers.

Bishop Creek: This is the preferred fall project and is a follow-up to the Avalanche Wildfire. Objective of proposed 5,200 acre project is Wildland Urban Interface protection to buffer the communities of Yosemite West, the Glacier Point Historic District, Yosemite Valley and Wawona from uncontrolled wildfires. It will build off recent hazardous fuels reduction treatments in Yosemite’s suppression management unit.

Yosemite Valley: The two proposed projects are both between El Capitan Meadow and Sentinel Beach along Southside Drive. “Taft Toe” is a narrow 50 acre burn, and the “Southside” is approximately 60 acres. Each would be a one day burn project.

Park fire managers and firefighters are sensitive to smoke, visitation, and human health concerns. The park is collaborating with the Mariposa and Tuolumne County’s Air Pollution Control Districts by communicating daily concerning potential air quality impacts, mitigations, and to support each agency’s responsibility to public health.

For additional Information, contact Gary_Wuchner@nps.gov; (209) 375-9574 or (209) 372-0480, or visit the Yosemite Fire Management Website, http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm

• Avalanche Fire: A lightning caused fire in congressionally designated Wilderness near the vicinity of Chinquapin. 1068 acres and controlled and in patrol status. Within the confines of Glacier Point, Wawona, and Old Glacier Point Roads. Light smoke continues to be visible at the top of Avalanche Creek.
• Hodgdon Fire Prescribed Fire: Light smoke continues to be visible as the fire continues to smolder within the fire perimeter. This fire is in patrol status.
• New Fires: Helicopter 551 discovered two new fires in Mariposa County on September 2, 2011, while searching for a missing hiker between Vogelsang and Merced High Sierra camps. They are remote lighting caused hold over fires that started on Friday August 26, 2011. The strike trees have been identified. Yosemite Fire Crew 6 has hiked into the fire areas and is monitoring both fires.
• Quartzite Fire: Approximately 1 mile south of Merced Lake is smoldering in one log, surrounded by granite and has low potential for growth.
• Adair Fire: Approximately 2 miles west of Washburn Lake, 3 acres in size, and burning and smoldering in red fir needle cast and forest duff. Moderate potential for growth, in a pocket of forest surrounded by granite.
• Fall Prescribed Fires: Three prescribed fire burn projects are being prepared for the fall: Two Yosemite Valley projects and one large landscape project Soupbowl, Wawona NW or Bishop Creek are being considered by park fire managers.
• Bishop Creek: This is the preferred fall project and is a follow-up to the Avalanche Wildfire. Objective of proposed 5,200 acre project is Wildland Urban Interface protection to buffer the communities of Yosemite West, the Glacier Point Historic District, Yosemite Valley and Wawona from uncontrolled wildfires. It will build off recent hazardous fuels reduction treatments in Yosemite’s suppression management unit.
• Yosemite Valley: The two proposed projects are both between El Capitan Meadow and Sentinel Beach along Southside Drive. “Taft Toe” is a narrow 50 acre burn, and the “Southside” is approximately 60 acres. Each would be a one day burn project.

Park fire managers and firefighters are sensitive to smoke, visitation, and human health concerns. The park is collaborating with the Mariposa and Tuolumne County’s Air Pollution Control Districts by communicating daily concerning potential air quality impacts, mitigations, and to support each agency’s responsibility to public health.

For additional Information, contact Gary_Wuchner@nps.gov ; (209) 375-9574 or (209) 372-0480, or visit the Yosemite Fire Management Website, http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm .