YOSEMITE – The Dog Rock Fire, burning on the west side of Yosemite National Park, is now estimated at 245 acres with 10% containment.
The fire is located along Highway 140 near the Arch Rock entrance to Yosemite National Park east of El Portal. The highway will remained closed until the danger can be eliminated.
The fire grew very little overnight, and fire officials expect containment to increase today.
All evacuations have been lifted, and the community of Foresta has been re-opened to residents only.
Firefighters worked through the night to secure the southern flank of the fire along Highway 140. The fire continues to burn downhill toward the highway where firefighters are staged to hold it. Burning snags and rolling material present a constant concern to the safety of the firefighters and have the potential to cause increased fire behavior.
Today, firefighters continue to secure the fire along Highway 140, working to prevent any burning material from crossing the highway. Fire crews are working along the north perimeter, completing direct fireline and running hoses to assist with mop-up. Firefighters are being supported by helicopters making water drops along the perimeter.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 3 (IMT) assumed command of the fire at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Assuring the safety of all the firefighters and the public remains the priority for all operations.
No structures have been lost, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The park is open and campgrounds, hotels, and other visitor services are open and operating at normal hours. Except for the closure of State Highway 140 at El Portal, all other park roads are open. Access to Yosemite is available via Wawona (Hwy 41) and Big Oak Flat Road (Hwy 120) and via Tioga Pass (Hwy 120). Visitors may see smoke in the immediate vicinity of the fire.
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting the investigation on the air tanker crash that occurred on Tuesday.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company will be assessing their power lines in order to prepare to return full power to Yosemite Valley. The IMT will provide assistance and support to these entities in order to assure their safety and facilitate their efforts.
Road Closures: Highway 140 from Park Line near El Portal to the Big Oak Flat Road and El Portal Road Junction.
Current Conditions in Yosemite: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Park Web Page: http://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/fireinfo.htm
Yosemite Air Quality: www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/aqmonitoring.htm
