MARIPOSA – CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers arrested 61-year-old Michael Eric Alexander on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Mariposa County. Through an extensive investigation, Alexander, a local resident, was identified as the suspect responsible for igniting five vegetation fires between Paddy Hill Road and Corey Pines Road off of East Whitlock Road since May 31, 2023. The East Whitlock fires ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Great news! Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to vehicles on Saturday, July 22, at 8 am. While vault and portable toilets will be available, there will be no water, store or food service, or fuel. Be sure to bring all the food and water you need. The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK-The Pika Fire currently burning behind North Dome in Yosemite National Park (YNP) is now 818 acres in size. As previously reported here, park officials use a confined and contained strategy that allows the fire to move naturally across the landscape, providing ecological benefits to plants and wildlife while meeting protection objectives to minimize risk to people and ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–With the extreme heat facing the Valley, the Valley Air District encourages residents to take action to keep cool, check on your family and neighbors, and monitor air quality levels. The record-breaking heat over the coming days could increase the potential for wildfires to begin, and potentially deteriorate air quality conditions throughout the Valley. Valley and foothill residents are ...

MARIPOSA—California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Law Enforcement Officers arrested 31-year-old Gino Galileo Luciani on Wednesday, July 12th, 2023, in Mariposa County. Through an extensive investigation, Luciani was identified as the suspect responsible for igniting a vegetation fire on July 12th, 2023. The Ashworth Fire occurred in the Bootjack area in Mariposa County. The fire burned approximately ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–Yosemite National Park (YNP) will begin a second round of civic engagement to address improving visitor experience and access to the busy park during peak season. The park is seeking input on several key concepts to address improving visitors’ access to and experience of the park’s most significant resources and features while ensuring that those resources are protected. ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–Fire officials are reporting that the Pika Fire, burning west of North Dome at an elevation of 7,100 feet, has burned 40 acres. The lightning fire was discovered on June 29th, 2023. Yosemite Fire crews are using a confined and contain firefighting strategy utilizing natural barriers and trails. The fire has slow growth, with some isolated active pockets ...

MIDPINES—Mariposa County Code Compliance, in coordination with Mariposa County Fire, Mariposa County Health and Human Services, and Connections, is posting properties as unsafe to occupy at the Whispering Pines Apartments in Midpines due to significant and immediate life, health, and safety concerns. “We have to get them out of there for their own life and safety,” said Corrina Miranda, Mariposa ...

STOCKTON – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is preparing to begin a maintenance project to improve the roadway surface of State Route 140 (SR-140) between East Whitlock Road and the Yosemite National Park entrance in Mariposa County. The project will repair and replace deteriorating pavement work. The pavement work will include repairing failed roadway surface locations using hot-mix asphalt ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will conduct the following one-way traffic control next week on State Route-49 (SR-49) and SR-132: State Route 49 • Between Schilling Road and Crown Lead Road for drainage work beginning Monday, July 10, through Friday, July 14, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. • Between Bear Valley Road and Moccasin ...