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California Interagency Incident Management Team 15 (CAIIMT15) assumed command of the Washburn Fire yesterday evening at 7pm.  CAIIMT15 is led by Incident Commander Jim Harris.

Highway 41 Reopening- Highway 41 (Wawona Rd.) has reopened as of 6:00 am on Saturday, July 23 . Visitors are permitted  to travel  from the South Entrance to Yosemite Valley. Reservations are still required.

Washburn Fire Update- The fire is burning within an area rated as “Exceptional Drought”, the most severe rating issued by the U.S. Drought Monitor. This rating is caused by several years of persistent drought and a year that has received approximately 50% of normal rainfall. These drought conditions have left dead fuels in and around the fire area at record dry levels. Due to the hard work of fire resources, most of the fire perimeter is holding within control lines. 

Today, activity is expected to be isolated to the interior portions of the fire as the extremely dry ground fuels continue to burn themselves out with limited threat to the control lines. Hotshot and helitack crews will continue to staff the remote and rugged sections of the fire along the south fork of the Merced River and the portion above Iron Creek. A persistent warm and dry weather pattern will remain in place with high temperatures in the upper 80s, minimum humidity of 15%, and afternoon westerly winds around 15 mph over the upper elevations.

Oak Fire- A new fire has started outside of  Yosemite National Park boundaries called the Oak Fire.  The Oak Fire started on Carstens Road near Highway 140, in the Midpines area of Mariposa County, cause is under investigation.  CAL FIRE and US Forest Service- Sierra National Forest are responding unified command.  For more information call 844-MMU-FIRE (844-668-3473) or visit https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2022/7/22/oak-fire/