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: 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: 31%
Start Date: July 7, 2022                                                            Cause: Under Investigation
Size: 4,759 acres                                                                       Number of Personnel Assigned: 1,534

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

It should be noted that to date, there have been no structures lost or serious injuries on the Washburn Fire.

Sierra National Forest Washburn Fire Closure Order: The Washburn Fire is now active on the Sierra National Forest. The lands affected are less than 3% of the 1.3 million acre Sierra National Forest. To aid firefighters and protect public safety during the Washburn Fire, the Sierra National Forest has issued a Washburn Fire Closure Forest Order:

Forest Order: 05-15-00-22-15:  This order is effective from July 15, 2022 through August 1, 2022. For a detailed description including a map, please view the following link: Forest Order 05-15-00-22-15. All closure roads are on the Bass Lake Ranger District and they include: Road 5S06 Mtn. Raymond Rd, 5S22 Big Sandy Rd, 5S43 White Chief Mtn. Rd, 6S10 Sky Ranch Rd, 5S40Y Lost Lake Rd, 5S40Z Lost Lake Rd, 5S04 Chiquito Lake Rd, 5S70A Red Top Rd.

Off-roaders, to protect public and firefighter safety, please avoid the Kamook Staging Area. Firefighters are using the site for the 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.

Please be advised that USFS law enforcement will be on patrol and thank all members of the public for avoiding the closure area so that incident personnel may stay focused on the difficult and dangerous work that remains.

Wawona Evacuation Update: Stay-tuned for a resident re-population update in the very near future. To stay updated with alerts from Yosemite National Park sign up for the alert system: Yosemite Alert System. The protection of both life and property continues to be a top priority. Fire conditions, behavior and weather continue to be assessed every 24 hours in order to prepare for re-population.  Conditions have continued to improve. A structure defense group remains in the community and there has not been any damage or loss of either the Wawona Hotel or private structures.

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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