Conditions described here were accurate only as of the date shown and may have changed. This is not a substitute for current official information from the agency with jurisdiction. See the full notice. Full notice.
Dome Fire Jumps to 61 Percent Contained Ahead of Saturday's Wind
6,829 acres. Southerly gusts of 25 to 35 mph and highs in the 50s arrive Saturday; anything that spots outside the line could run.
Containment on the Dome Fire rose to 61 percent on Thursday, up from 47 percent, the Park Service said this morning. The fire is 6,829 acres with 968 people assigned. Fire activity was minimal, and aircraft working with hotshot crews kept it inside its footprint.
Today crews are mopping up and patrolling the north and west sides. On the east side, still the top priority, they are running hose lines down from the north and up from the south and finishing hand line, and structure protection stays at the Ostrander ski hut.
The weather turns this afternoon. A low-pressure system approaching the coast cools highs into the 60s and brings southwest winds gusting 15 to 25 mph this afternoon and evening. On Saturday the wind swings southerly and strengthens, with afternoon gusts of 25 to 35 mph and highs mostly in the 50s. The park says activity should stay minimal where lines are in place, but any new ignition outside the line could grow.
Smoke keeps improving: good to moderate in Yosemite Valley today and good by the weekend, with moderate mornings in Wawona, Yosemite West and El Portal clearing by evening.
Closures are unchanged. Glacier Point Road and every trail inside the fire footprint are closed, including the trails south and east of Glacier Point Road, the Ostrander Lake Trail, and the Mono Meadow and Buena Vista trails. The Chilnualna Falls, Alder Creek, Four Mile and Panorama trails are open.
Sources