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: Yosemite NP   Sierra NF                                          Twitter: Yosemite NP     Sierra NF

Instagram: https://instagram.com/yosemitefire/                         Website: Yosemite NP      Sierra NF

Location: Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove                   Percent Contained: 23%
Start Date: July 7, 2022                                                            Cause: Under Investigation
Size: 4,375 acres                                                                       Number of Personnel Assigned: 1,045

The Washburn Fire will hosting a Community Meeting Today, July 14, 2022 @ 7:00 PM at the Oakhurst Community Center, 39800 Road 425B in Oakhurst. Livestream: Facebook.com/YosemiteFire.

Weather/Fire Conditions: Continued warm and dry weather with active to very active fire behavior. This active behavior will include group torching and runs of intense fire in the crowns of trees on the eastern side of the fire. Expect winds over the incident area to remain light to moderate and mostly terrain driven. Temperatures will reach the low-90s and relative humidity is predicted to be in the 20-30% range. Weather and fuels will continue to produce a large smoke column each afternoon. Expect smokey conditions. For a more detailed look at smoke conditions: Washburn Fire Smoke Report

Public Support: Firefighters and participating agencies are grateful for the support expressed in many ways by the local communities and the nation. Your patience as the fire is battled is noticed and very much appreciated.

Sierra National Forest Washburn Fire Closure Forest Order: The Washburn Fire is now active on the Sierra National Forest. To aid firefighters and protect public safety during the Washburn Fire, the Sierra National Forest has issued the Washburn Fire Forest Closure Order. Forest Routes 5S43, 5S06 (Mt. Raymond Rd.), 5S22 and 5S37 are closed to the public. The lands affected are less than 1% of the 1.3 million acre Sierra National Forest. This Forest Order 05-15-00-22-14 is effective from July 13, 2022, through August 1, 2022. For a more detailed description including a map, please view the following link: Forest Order & Map:  Forest Order 05-15-00-22-14   
 
Off-roaders, to protect public and firefighter safety please avoid the Kamook Staging Area. Firefighters are using the site for staging of firefighting heavy equipment. An alternative spot is Lone Sequoia trailhead/campground on the 5S24 road about 2 miles from Hwy 41, or any dispersed site along the 5S15 road in Miami Trails. 

Update on the Mariposa Grove: The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias has seen low intensity ground fire resulting in minimal impacts to the trees. There has been no known loss of any large giant sequoias which is largely due to a proactive fire management and fuels reduction program and a long history of prescribed burning in Yosemite National Park. This is in contrast to the nearly 20% loss of giant sequoias in the last few years during large-scale wildfires. Yosemite National Park has been at the forefront of fire and fuels management with over a half-century of prescribed burning history.

Wawona Evacuation Update: On Friday, July 8th, a day after the fire was first reported, the community of Wawona was evacuated. The protection of both life and property has continued to remain a top priority. Fire conditions, behavior and weather are constantly being assessed in order to prepare for re-population of the community. A structure defense group remains in place throughout the community and there has not been any damage or loss of park or private structures, including the historic Wawona Hotel.

Fire Progression: For a daily summary of the fire with Matt Ahearn, Operations Section Chief for California Interagency Incident Management Team 13. Search: http://facebook.com/yosemitefire or on Facebook search: Washburn Fire Morning Briefing with Team 13 (California Interagency Incident Management Team 13)

Using Fire to Fight Fire: There have been quite a few questions related to the use of introduced fire to slow the wildfire progress. Firefighters are attacking the fire with fire or using what we call “offensive fire.” For a visual description of this tactic visit this link: Offensive Fire

Evacuations & Closures: Wawona, Wawona Road (Hwy 41) south of Yosemite West, and the Mariposa Grove are closed until further notice. All other areas of Yosemite National Park are open. Use El Portal Rd (Hwy 140) or Big Oak Flat Rd. (Hwy 120 East) or Tioga Rd (Hwy 120 West) to enter Yosemite. The Rest of the Park Remains Open and reservations are still required; visit www.recreation.gov. The South Entrance remains closed.

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

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2022 Washburn Fire Talking Points

On July 7, 2022, several 911 callers reported seeing smoke in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias off the Washburn Trail.

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/

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

Location: Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove                   Percent Contained: 25%
Start Date: July 7, 2022                                                            Cause: Under Investigation
Size: 2340 acres (+749)                                                             Number of Personnel Assigned: 545 (+185)

The Washburn fire incident management team will host a public meeting in Oakhurst, CA, on Monday, July 11, at 7 pm. The meeting will take place at the Community Center of Oakhurst at 39800 Fresno Flats Rd. The meeting will also be livestreamed on Yosemite Fire and Aviation | Facebook

Summary: The Washburn Fire was reported on July 7th, near the Washburn Trail in the Mariposa Grove area of Yosemite National Park. A full initial attack response was dispatched including Yosemite NP Fire resources as well as state and local cooperators. California Interagency Incident Management Team 13 assumed command of the fire Saturday, July 9th and will manage the incident as a full suppression fire.

The fire was active last night and with the current warming trend, increased fire activity is expected for today as well. While structure wrap is not currently being used on the giant sequoias, firefighters are proactively protecting the Mariposa Grove through the use of a ground-based sprinkler system. This increases the humidity in the area around the trees and combined with the removal of ground fuels, the ground fire risk is greatly reduced. Yosemite’s fire management program has for many years utilized a wide variety of methods to reduce the fuels and minimize the risk of fire to the over 500 mature giant sequoias as well as the entire National Park.

Terrain and Fuels: The fire is burning in difficult terrain which presents accessibility issues for firefighters. Heavy fuel loading from a period of high tree mortality has resulted in a large number of standing dead and fallen trees which create hazardous conditions for firefighters. The current fire location does not provide a large number of natural barriers which are often used to slow or stop the spread of a fire. Consequently, a great deal of hand and dozer line is being constructed.

Aircraft Incident: On Saturday, July 9th a tree branch was sent into the air from the powerful updraft produced by the fire. As it dropped back to earth, it narrowly missed two firefighting aircraft. Fortunately, there were no injuries and no damage. We are all grateful for the hard work and risks taken by everyone involved with the firefighting effort.

Evacuations & Closures: Wawona, Wawona Road (Hwy 41) south of Yosemite West, and the Mariposa Grove are closed until further notice. All other areas of Yosemite National Park are open. Use El Portal Rd (Hwy 140) or Big Oak Flat Rd. (Hwy 120 East) or Tioga Rd (Hwy 120 West) to enter Yosemite. EXPECT SMOKEY CONDITIONS WITHIN THE PARK.

The Rest of the Park Remains Open: Reservations required; visit www.recreation.gov. We appreciate the patience of the public as visitors experience longer waits at the other entrances while the south entrance remains closed.

Weather: A heating trend will take place through 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: A smoke map at fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions. 

Aviation / Drone Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been issued and any private aircraft or drone violating the TFR could face serious criminal charges. For more information on drones visit: knowbeforeyoufly.org 

“If you fly, we can’t!”

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Please join us for a public meeting in Oakhurst, CA, on Monday, July 11, at 7 pm.  Representatives from the Incident Management teal will discuss current and expected condition on the fire, and will hold a Question/Answer afterward.

The meeting will take place at the Community Center of Oakhurst at 39800 Fresno Flats Rd.

The meeting will also be livestreamed on Yosemite Fire and Aviation | Facebook

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!”

Evacuation order for the community of Wawona and Wawona Campground. Please leave the area immediately. Utilize Wawona Road (Hwy 41) northbound toward Yosemite Valley. Southbound traffic is closed at the Wawona Golf Course.
 
Map of the evacuation area and current levels - https://arcg.is/1nzzzz0

Name: Hardcastle Fire

Size: 540 acres
Containment: 85%
Cause: Rekindle from previously contained fire, originally started by power lines
Structures lost: 1 confirmed
Structures threatened: 0

The fire received beneficial rain today. Prior to the rain firefighters were pulled off the line due to poor visibility in the 60mph winds. The wind was followed by rain, which helped cool the remaining hot spots down. Crews went back out after the storm passed to check containment lines due to the high winds. Staffing is expected to reduce down to a few engines in the next few days since fire activity has become minimal. 

Please stay up to date on the status of the fire from InciWeb, trusted news sources, and the Bosque County Emergency Management Facebook page.