Evacuation order in place as wildfire continues to grow in Yosemite National Park
THE LATEST: Crews scramble to protect giant sequoia trees as fire swells
A mandatory evacuation order is in place for Wawona and Wawona campground in Yosemite National Park as the Washburn Fire grew to 466 acres Friday afternoon, incident managers said.
Officials asked residents to leave the area immediately.
The California Highway Patrol reported on its page that the southern entrance (Highway 41) into Yosemite National Park is closed.
New spot fire 1/4 mile “way outside the retardant line.” Getting copters on it. Also said "If this whole thing goes to shit with that ridge, will start boxing in a cabin and alternate projects.” #WashburnFire #FireWX #Yosemite pic.twitter.com/2RHSZDDgiV
— Michael Steinberg (@MichaelWX18) July 9, 2022
Mandatory evacuation of the Wawona community and Wawona Campground due to the 466 acre #Washburnfire. Wawona road (Hwy41) is closed from South Entrance to the Wawona Golf Course.
Information map: https://t.co/o8JvdKdTBI
Photo/ Lindsay Stevenson pic.twitter.com/1kOI1q5jmq— Yosemite Fire and Aviation Management (@YosemiteFire) July 9, 2022
But Wawona Road north from that entrance is open for evacuees to take northbound toward Yosemite Valley, officials said.
The Red Cross said in a tweet that it is opening an evacuation shelter at New Life Christian Fellowship (5089 Cole Road, Mariposa) for evacuees. Volunteers are on-site to provide safe shelter, food, water and additional resources.
The Washburn Fire was reported Thursday afternoon near the lower Mariposa Grove close to the Washburn Trail. Officials had estimated the fire had grown to 250 acres overnight, but the size was lowered to 166 acres once more precise fire mapping was done on Friday morning.
The grove has been evacuated and, along with Mariposa Grove Road, remains closed until further notice, according to the National Park Service.
The fire was mapped at 46 acres Thursday night, but remained active overnight, according to the update from Yosemite Fire.
Additional resources have been ordered into the area, including engines, crews and aircraft.
A Type 2 Incident Management Team has also been ordered, which is typical for major fires.
Ground and air resources are expected to continue suppression efforts on Friday. The flight tracking site FlightAware was showing a lot of activity in the area including jets and helicopters.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Mariposa Grove is home to some 500 giant sequoia trees, which can grow to more than 250 feet tall. Grizzly Giant, the most well-known tree in the Mariposa Grove, is 209 feet and one of the largest trees in the world. It is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old.
It’s not clear if any sequoias have been burned.
