One of the largest wildfires to ever hit California caused a smoke plume effecting air quality over 100 miles away. The fire has already destroyed over 110 structures and continues to burn out-of-control.
““It was like a bomb went off, exploded,” a firefighter said. “When the inversion lifted, the fog coming from the smoke, when it lifted, this fire exploded and it’s been running away ever since.”
So far, more than 288-square-miles have burned.
The park has issued this statement:
Most of Yosemite National Park is not affected by the fire and is relatively smoke-free. The northern part of the park, including some areas along the Tioga Road, has some smoke. Conditions may change if winds shift. However:
* The Big Oak Flat Road (the continuation of Highway 120 inside Yosemite) and Highway 120 west of Yosemite are closed between J132 near Buck Meadows (outside the park) to Crane Flat (inside the park). Beginning at noon on Wednesday, August 28, the only access to Yosemite Valley is via Highway 140 from Merced or Highway 41 from Fresno.
* Beginning at noon on Wednesday, August 28, the Tioga Road (Highway 120 through the park) is closed from Crane Flat to Yosemite Creek. The only access to the Tuolumne Meadows area is via Highway 120 from near Lee Vining.
* Hetch Hetchy Road and Evergreen Road are closed.
* White Wolf is closed, including the lodge, campground, road, and trails originating from White Wolf.
* Crane Flat, Hodgdon Meadow, Tamarack Flat, Yosemite Creek, and White Wolf Campgrounds and Hetch Hetchy Backpackers’ Campground are closed.
* Merced and Tuolumne Groves of Giant Sequoias are closed so firefighters can work on preventive fire suppression efforts. The groves are not currently in imminent danger.
* Wilderness trail closures: The area west of the May Lake Road and May Lake Trail continuing to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) at Glen Aulin and then north along the PCT to Bond Pass is closed. The park’s boundary serves as the closure’s northern and western edge extending south to the junction of the Big Oak Flat Road and Tioga Road at Crane Flat. The closure’s boundary continues east from Crane Flat paralleling the Tioga Road a half mile to its south to the Tamarack Flat Campground Road. The closure follows the Tamarack Flat Campground Road to the campground then continues on the Tamarack Creek trail to the junction with the North Rim Trail. Then east along the North Rim trail to the Yosemite Creek trail north to the Tioga Road. The closure then follows the Tioga Road east to the May Lake Road. The trails serving as the eastern and southern boundary of the closed area remain open. May Lake High Sierra Camp, Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp, and Porcupine Flat Campground are open.