Dome Fire Containment Jumps to 28 Percent Overnight

The Dome Fire is 28 percent contained this morning, the Park Service says, after a week in which the figure barely moved. The fire grew 240 acres overnight to 4,498 acres, with 781 people assigned.

A note on the numbers. Yesterday's edition used the interagency mapped figure of 4,129 acres and 16 percent. Today's park update puts Friday morning at about 4,258 acres, which means the park's own count was running a little ahead of the map. From here this paper uses the Park Service's morning figures, because they are the ones the park acts on.

The fire is still moving north and northeast inside the Yosemite Wilderness, into the 2017 Empire Fire footprint. Heavy dead and downed timber is throwing embers ahead of the main fire, which is the main source of spot fires; higher humidity is making it harder for those embers to catch. Crews are building and widening line near Bridalveil Creek, Empire Meadows and Horse Ridge and using granite outcrops as natural barriers. A new division has been added to manage line construction in the wilderness, and pack mules and helicopters are carrying water, fuel and food to crews.

Nothing has changed for visitors. Glacier Point Road is closed for smoke and firefighting; the Four Mile and Panorama trails to Glacier Point remain open to hikers. The Chilnualna Falls trail and the trails from the top of the falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes are closed. In Wawona and Yosemite West crews are clearing brush around homes and checking hydrants, and the park says no roads, buildings or utilities are under immediate threat.

Smoke will keep affecting air quality in the park. Check the conditions page and the smoke outlook the morning you go.