Yosemite wildfire update: Date set for Highway 41/Wawona Road to reopen

Yosemite National Park officials announced Tuesday that Wawona Road, which is the continuation of Highway 41, is tentatively scheduled to reopen to visitors on Saturday at 6 a.m.

Wawona Road closed on July 8 due to the Washburn Fire.

The wildfire burning in Yosemite National Park was holding steady at about 4,900 acres Wednesday, according to estimates by the National Park Service and the National Interagency Fire Center.

Containment was 58%.

The fire began July 7 along the Washburn Trail within the park’s Mariposa Grove of iconic giant sequoia trees. In and around the grove, which contains more than 500 mature sequoias, containment lines are secure and crews have been mopping up areas that continue to smolder.

The Mariposa Grove and the Wawona area will remain closed for at least another week, according to the park. The closure includes all camping, lodging, vacation rentals, and other services (other than gas) in the Wawona area.

A reservation is required to drive into or through Yosemite between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

A forest closure is also in effect for the northwestern area of the Sierra National Forest adjacent to the park.