Major Increase In Containment On Ferguson Fire, Now At 68 Percent

MARIPOSA COUNTY – Days of hard work by crews on the Ferguson Fire paid off today as managers were able to put 68 percent of the perimeter into the “contained” column.

The acreage is still being reported at 94,992 acres, as it has been for the past two days. If new reports of acreage are released this evening, we will update here.

The primary area of attack by firefighters remains the confluence of the Big Oak Flat Road, Highway 140 and Highway 41 near Cascade Picnic Area at the southern end of Yosemite Valley. It is critical they stop the fire there or risk it getting onto the North and South Rims inside the Valley.

Burning operations continue along Highway 41 from Chinquapin Junction to Elephant Rock. The fire remains on the east side of the road, and crews will fire along the highway tonight up to Grouse Creek if conditions are favorable.

The hottest and most active part of the fire continues to be between Wawona Road, Glacier Point Road and Chinquapin. However, it is burning into old fire scars and the lighter fuel loads within these footprints is moderating fire behavior and allowing crews to work directly on the fire’s edge.

Hotshot crews are constructing and reinforcing direct hand line from North Wawona Road around the fire’s edge to Glacier Point Road and west to Chinquapin. Spot fires have been identified and crews are working on containing those spots.

Foresta is the last evacuated community not to have been repopulated, but crews have been successful containing the lines protecting the structures and the evacuation will be lifted at 8 a.m. tomorrow. No structures in Foresta have been lost.

Mop-up continues around Yosemite West and along Highway 41 south to Wawona. All lines are holding well.

The southern and western perimeters of the fire are in patrol status, and suppression repair work is underway.

There is no word yet on when Yosemite National Park will reopen. There is still fire along the roads and dangerous fire-weakened trees continue to pose a hazard to both firefighters and the public.

The Ferguson Fire started on Friday, July 13, at 8:30 p.m., near Savage Trading Post on the south side of the Merced River canyon along Highway 140. The cause remains under investigation.

The estimated date for full containment is Aug. 15.

There are currently 1,889 personnel assigned to the incident including 135 engines, 22 crews, 18 water tenders, 23 dozers, 5 masticators, 14 helicopters, and fixed-wing tankers as conditions allow. Some personnel are being sent to other fires across the state including the Holy Fire in southern California.

Ten structures have been destroyed by the Ferguson Fire. Damage assessment teams have been able to get into some of the burn areas of the fire, and report that most of the 10 structures reported lost were in the Ned Gulch area on the north end of the fire. According to locals, these were historic mining operation structures that were being restored and used weekly for various types of outings and expeditions.

There have been 13 firefighter injuries reported, and numerous instances of heat exhaustion-type symptoms. There have been two fatalities on the fire; HFEO Braden Varney was killed in a dozer rollover accident on July 14, and Brian Hughes, Arrowhead Hotshot Captain, lost his life on July 29 when he was struck by a tree during a firing operation.

Yosemite National Park

Officials have announced that the closure of some portions of Yosemite National Park will be extended indefinitely. When the park does open these areas, limited visitor services will be available inside Yosemite Valley, including campgrounds, lodging, and food service operations.

Yosemite Valley has been closed since July 25 due to smoke impacts and for firefighting operations along El Portal Road and the Wawona Road.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and the Wawona Road (Highway 41) from the south entrance of Yosemite National Park to Tunnel View will remain closed until further notice.

The Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120 West) to Crane Flat has been reopened. Tioga Road (Highway 120 East) from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass, remains open to all visitors and vehicles. All trails and campgrounds along Tioga Road, including the Tuolumne Meadows Campground remain open. All visitor services along Tioga Road, including the High Sierra Camps and visitor services near Tuolumne Meadows, remain open.

Non-essential personnel in Yosemite Valley evacuated Friday due to hazardous road conditions, smoke and a loss of power, were allowed to return home today. Yosemite Valley has been closed to the public since July 25, however Yosemite National Park remains open on the east side out of Lee Vining, and Tioga Pass Road (Highway 120 East) provides access to the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails.

Yosemite National Park is working closely with the Incident Management Team and continues to assess park conditions daily.

For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209-372-0200, press 1 and press 1 again. Updated information is also available on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/yose and on the Yosemite National Park Facebook page.

Air quality issues

For information on air quality specific to Mariposa County visit http://www.mariposacounty.org/index.aspx?NID=1434. For additional information on air quality you can visit the AirNow website or the air fire smoke page.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has also warned that a health caution is in place and smoke impacts will continue until the fire is extinguished.

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine, microscopic particles that can cause health problems including triggering asthma attacks, aggravating chronic heart and lung diseases, and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Where conditions warrant, people with heart or lung disease should follow their doctors’ advice for dealing with episodes of particulate exposure. People with existing respiratory conditions, young children and elderly people are especially susceptible to the health effects from these pollutants. Anyone being exposed to poor air quality or wildfire smoke should move inside to an air-conditioned environment.

Residents can check the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s wildfire page at www.valleyair.org/wildfires for information about any current wildfires and whether they are impacting the Valley. The District’s Real-time Air Advisory Network (RAAN) provides localized air quality data from an extensive air-monitoring network which allows Valley residents to track PM at any Valley address by visiting myraan.com.

If community members see new fire activity, they are asked to call 911, not the fire information line.

As of July 21, there are fire restrictions in place on the Sierra National Forest. Please read and be informed before you use any type of fire in the forest.

The Incident Command Post for the Ferguson Fire is located at the Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park. Please be aware of heavy fire equipment moving through the area. There is also a base camp set up on the Stanislaus National Forest. Personnel at the fire camp at Badger Pass have been relocated to the ICP in Ahwahnee due to active fire in the area.