Single Publication

Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM  |  Phone: 209-819-7246 

Email: 2022.washburn@firenet.gov  |  Online Updates: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8209/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteFire      Twitter: https://twitter.com/YosemiteFire

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosemitefire/    Website: https://www.nps.gov/yose

Location: Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove
Start Date: July 7, 2022
Size: 1,591acres
Percent Contained: 0%
Cause: Under Investigation
Number of Personnel Assigned: 360

Summary: The Washburn Fire was reported in the afternoon of July 7, near the Washburn Trail in the Mariposa Grove area of Yosemite National Park. A full initial attack response was dispatched including Yosemite National Park Fire resources and state and local cooperators. California Interagency Incident Management Team 13 assumed command of the fire Saturday and will manage the incident as a full suppression fire.

The fire was active overnight. Today is expected to be hotter and drier. The parks are proactively protecting the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. While structure wrap is not being used on the sequoias themselves, additional methods are being used including the removal of heavy and fine fuels around the trees and deploying ground-based sprinkler systems to increase humidity near the trees. Fortunately, the Mariposa Grove has a long history of prescribed burning and studies have shown that these efforts reduce the impacts of high-severity unwanted fire.

Terrain: The fire is burning in difficult terrain with continuous heavy dead and down fuels in and around the fire. Tree mortality from 2013 - 2015 has left significant dead standing and dead fallen fuels. This also presents significant safety hazards to firefighters. Located in the southern portion of Yosemite National Park, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias.

Evacuations & Closures: The Wawona Road (Highway 41) is closed from the South Entrance to Henness Ridge Road.  Yosemite West remains accessible from the northern side of the Wawona road.   The Mariposa Grove are closed until further notice.  A map of the evacuation area and current evacuation levels is available at arcg.is/0Hmuq4.  An evacuation shelter is set up at the New Life Church located at 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa, CA. 

The Rest of the Park Remains Open: All other areas of Yosemite National Park are open. Use Highways 140 or 120 to enter Yosemite. Reservations are still required; visit www.recreation.gov for reservations. Expect smoky conditions within the park. We appreciate the patience of the public as visitors may experience longer waits at the other entrance stations as the south entrance remains closed. 

Weather: A warming trend will take place over the fire today and Monday. Hot and dry conditions will persist through at least the end of the week. A full forecast is available at www.weather.gov/hnx.

Current Conditions: For road, campground, and other information visit www.nps.gov/yose.

Smoke: An interactive smoke map at fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions. 

Aviation / Drone Restrictions: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) and any private aircraft or drone that violates the TFR could face serious criminal charges. For more information on drones the public can visit the FAA’s website at www.KnowBeforeYouFly.org. “If you fly, we can’t!”