YOSEMITE — To ensure the best experience during this holiday weekend in Yosemite, park officials encourage visitors to plan ahead. Yosemite National Park anticipates a very busy 4th of July weekend, with very high visitation, especially from Thursday, June 29, until Wednesday, July 5. Visitors are encouraged to arrive at Yosemite before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Once in ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Ben Fire, burning in the Mormon Bar area of Mariposa County, is now estimated at 800 acres, still with 0 percent containment, according the the latest report from Cal Fire. There are currently 33 engines, 6 crews, 4 water tenders and 8 bulldozers assigned to the incident. Air Attack, three helicopters and two air tankers are ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Ben Fire, burning in the Ben Hur area of Mariposa County, is now reported at about 600 acres with 0 percent containment. No structures are threatened at this time, according to Cal Fire, and no evacuations have been ordered. At about 4 p.m., a full wildland dispatch was called out to a fire reported near 3081 ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY —  A fire burning in the Ben Hur area of Mariposa County is now reported at about 300 acres. At about 4 p.m., a full wildland dispatch was called out to a fire reported near 3081 Ben Hur Road near Silver Bar Road. It grew quickly to 20 acres within 30 minutes, and continues to push northeast from ...

MADERA COUNTY — After the floor of the sleeping quarters at Madera County Fire Station 3 collapsed under the bed of a firefighter last Saturday night, officials have closed down the building, and are exploring options to build a new station. The deplorable state of the trailer used to house the firefighters who man Station 3 is nothing new, and ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters are on scene of a vegetation fire reported near 3081 Ben Hur Road near Silver Bar Road. At about 4 p.m., a full wildland dispatch was called out to a fire that grew quickly to 20 acres. The fire is reported to be pushing northeast from the point of origin. Engines from Cal Fire and Mariposa ...

MADERA COUNTY — After two years of trying to navigate the complicated process involved in creating an OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) park in the O’Neals area, the Madera County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 yesterday to kill the project. District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler was the only “no” vote when District 1 Supervisor Brett Frazier made the motion to cancel the ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST —  The Camp Fire, which started about 1 p.m. yesterday about four miles up Central Camp Road near Bass Lake, is now 100 percent contained. The Camp Fire consumed 3.7 acres, down from the original estimate of 10 acres after more accurate mapping. The quick and aggressive ground attack along with air support prevented the growth of ...

MARIPOSA – The Lake Don Pedro Community Services District (LDPCSD) has awarded a contract to the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) in the amount of $175,260,  to implement a countywide water efficiency education and rebate program. Lake Don Pedro CSD was awarded a $1,001,547 grant from the Department of Water Resources to achieve several goals, including replacement of leaky ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST — Firefighters have made good progress on the Camp Fire, burning on Central Camp Road near Forest Road 6S06 near Bass Lake. A new estimate has the final size of the fire at 3.25 acres; there has been no update on containment from the 30 percent as of 4 p.m. We will update here when a new ...