YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–A third wildland fire has been discovered in Yosemite National Park near the Aspen Valley area. This is the Aspen Fire. The fire was discovered yesterday, 9.4.2022, by a firefighting helicopter that was working on the Red Fire, which has been burning in the park since August.
None of the fires have caused any road closures or are affecting visitation to the park at this time.
Yosemite Fire Officials are reporting that the fire was mapped last night,9.4.2022, at 19 acres. Firefighters are fully suppressing this fire and utilizing air tankers, helicopters, engines, water tenders, and hotshot crews. There have been no closures and no evacuation orders/warnings issued. The fire is burning in the 2013 Rim fire footprint. This area contains heavy downed fuels, snag,s timber, and brush. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Aspen Fire is the third fire to be currently burning in Yosemite along with the Red and Rodgers Fires. The Red and Rodgers fires are both lightning caused fires that are being managed using Minimum Impact Suppression Techniques (MIST) to confine and contain the fires using a combination of natural barriers (large areas of granite, trains, and creeks) and short sections of handlines to tie the barriers together.
The Red Fire has burned 5,520 acres and is showing 15% completion due to the cease of fire spread from natural barriers. 106 firefighting personnel are assigned to the fire.
The Rodgers Fire has burned 2,365 acres and is showing 20% completion due to the cease of fire spread due to natural barriers. 40 firefighting personnel are assigned to the fire.
More information can be found on the Yosemite Fire News website and the Yosemite Fire and Aviation Facebook page.
You can view current air quality conditions throughout Yosemite National Park and the region at https://fire.airnow.gov/.
