YOSEMITE – Suppression efforts continue on the approximately 250-acre Dog Rock Fire in Yosemite National Park.
Currently, there is no estimate on the fire’s containment; however crews continue to make significant progress.
Air and ground attack has been aided by favorable weather conditions, which have resulted in minimal fire growth on the western boundary of the park near the Highway 140 entrance, say park officials.
There are currently 13 aircraft assigned to the incident, including a VLAT and Sky Crane, plus an estimated 200+ personnel.
Power remains out in the Yosemite Valley, and the outage is expected to continue another 24-48 hours. Generators are providing power to facilities in the area. Power was shut down by the Park Service due to the location of the airtanker crash, which is under power lines.
The National Park Service is being assisted by the United States Forest Service and the California Interagency Incident Management Team 3.
Highway 140 into Yosemite National Park remains closed at the park boundary. Yosemite National Park remains open and Yosemite Valley can be accessed via Highways 41, 120 west, and 120 east via Tioga Pass. Campgrounds, hotels, and other visitor services are open and operating at normal hours. The evacuation of the community of Foresta is still in effect.
S-2T Airtanker pilot Craig Hunt died yesterday afternoon when his plane crash into the side of a mountain while battling the blaze. The transport of his body was conducted under ceremonial escort this morning.
“With great sadness, the Yosemite National Park community would like to express its deepest condolences to CAL FIRE for the loss of pilot, Geoffrey “Craig” Hunt. Yesterday, Craig lost his life fighting the Dog Rock Fire,” stated Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park Superintendent. “He died serving and protecting the public from wildland fire. As members of the wildland firefighting community, we also mourn his loss and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
We will update as soon as more information becomes available.
