Smoke From 68,610-Acre Ferguson Fire Closes Highway 120

MARIPOSA COUNTY –  The Ferguson Fire grew by 5,727 acres overnight and is now estimated at 68,610 acres with 39 percent containment.

Officials are reporting this morning that a spot fire on the north has resulted in the closure of Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) because of smoke and congestion from firefighting vehicles and equipment.

The road is closed west of Crane Flat. At this time, the only entrance into Yosemite National Park is Lee Vining (Highway 120) to Crane Flat.

Damage assessment teams have been able to get into some of the burn areas of the fire, and report that 10 structures have been lost in the Ned Gulch area on the north end of the fire. Officials say it appears they were not inhabited structures, and that the road had been washed out for some time, requiring teams to go on foot to assess the damage. We will provide more details as they become available.

Firefighters worked throughout the night to contain a couple spot fires that jumped the line on the southeast perimeter at about 5 p.m. yesterday, forcing the evacuation of Wawona. Crews are working to construct a containment line, anchoring in at Big Creek, in an attempt to hold the spot fires. Officials anticipate having the line completed by midday.

The communities of Yosemite West and Foresta remain under a mandatory evacuation as the northeastern portion of the fire continues to grow, south of the Merced River.

Firefighters kept pace with that section of fire, say officials, and matched the fire’s moderate growth with tactical firing along the 30X Road to buffer Yosemite West. Crews also prepared containment lines along Highway 41 to further box in the fire and protect the community of Foresta, should the fire shift to the northeast.

The containment plan entails building lines from the 30X Road east to Wawona Road, then north to Elephant Rock. The line will follow Elephant Ridge until it connects with a rocky slope to the west.

On the north end of the fire, a spot fire resulted in the closure of Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) because of smoke and congestion from firefighting vehicles and equipment.

Once firefighters contain the spot fire, they will begin tactical firing operations off Pilot Ridge along the Mariposa-Tuolumne County line, weather permitting.

Officials have reduced the number of structures threatened by the fire to 815. Ten structures have been destroyed, though officials do not believe that any been recently inhabited.

There is an estimated date for full containment of Aug. 15.

There are currently 3,344 personnel assigned to the incident including 145 engines, 88 crews, 45 water tenders, 49 dozers, 14 helicopters, and fixed-wing tankers as conditions allow.

There have been eleven 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 Sunday when he was struck by a tree during a firing operation.

Area residents can expect to see increased smoke during the next few days as firing operations continue. Tactical firing is an effective way to reduce fuel loads while simultaneously widening or extending containment lines. It can reduce the duration and intensity of wildfires, particularly by decreasing available fuels and weakening the fire as it approaches containment lines.

During all tactical firing operations on the Ferguson Fire, firefighters and law enforcement maintain a presence in evacuated communities to ensure home and structure safety.

The high pressure system above the fire is weakening which will result in warmer and drier conditions. With lower winds speeds and the inversion layer forecasted to lift by midday, residents are likely to see taller smoke columns than they are used to seeing. Residents can monitor the latest air quality and health advisories at:

• https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/YosemiteArea
• https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/SouthernSierra

Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken has signed a forest order closing several Groveland Ranger District roads and trails impacted by the Ferguson Fire.

This closure is based on the current and expected fire behavior and will be in effect until Sept. 30, or until replaced or rescinded. Click here for details and a map of the closure.

Yosemite National Park

Officials have announced that the closure of some portions of Yosemite National Park will be extended to Aug. 5. This now includes Hetch Hetchy. 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 temporarily closed since July 25 due to smoke impacts and for firefighting operations along El Portal Road and the Wawona Road due to the Ferguson Fire.

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 and Tioga Road (Highway 120 East) from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass, remain 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.

Since the Ferguson Fire began on Friday, July 13, several other park facilities and roads have been closed due to fire impacts and the need to support firefighting operations. These closures include Glacier Point Road, Bridalveil Creek Campground, the Wawona Campground, and the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Yosemite National Park continues to work 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.

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 at the ski area at Badger Pass.

The fire is under Unified Command with Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service, Yosemite National Park and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. Management of the fire transitioned to a Type 1 Management Team – California Team 4 – on Thursday, July 19. For information about the fire please call 530-377-6221.

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.

Be sure you are signed up to receive alerts when wildfire or other emergencies threaten.

• To sign up for the Mariposa Sheriff’s Office Emergency Alert System visit https://local.nixle.com/register.
• To register for the Madera County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Alert System visit mcalert.org.

Smoke from the Ferguson Fire is impacting the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District and across the region. For information 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.

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.

Evacuations

New yesterday: A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for the community of Wawona as of 6 p.m. yesterday. Residents should leave on Highway 41 to the south gate. This evacuation has been done as a precaution, according to officials.

The Evacuation Orders were lifted 7 p.m. for El Portal Trailer Park. This area will be open to residents only and will remain under a Fire Advisement. All residents will need to use the ENTRY POINT on Highway 140 in the Midpines area. The evacuation order remains in effect for Old El Portal and Park Line/ Yosemite View Lodge area.

Evacuations lifted for Highway 140 Corridor – This area will include the following for RESIDENTS ONLY:

• Savage Trading Post
• Cedar Lodge
• Indian Flat
• Incline Road
• Rancheria Flat- Government Housing & National Park Service
• El Portal Complex

All residents will need to enter using Highway 140 in the Midpines area. The road remains closed to the public.

Mandatory evacuations remain in place for:

• Wawona
• Old El Portal
• River Road from Briceburg to last BLM Campground
• Foresta
• Yosemite View Lodge
• Yosemite West
• Anderson Valley
• Old Yosemite Road

Evacuation Advisories:

• Cedar Lodge/Indian Flat Campground
• Rancheria Flat and all campgrounds along Highway 140
• Savage Trading Post
• El Portal Trailer Park