Some Yosemite residents return home, as Ferguson Fire containment improves
Firefighters gained ground Monday on the Ferguson Fire after a weekend filled with unpredictable spot fires that halted containment.
The blaze has burned 91,502 acres over the past three weeks, and was 38 percent contained Monday — a 3 percent change from Sunday. Its size makes it the largest to ever burn within the Sierra National Forest, according to Denise Tolmie, Bass Lake District ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.
The community of Wawona had its evacuation order lifted 10 a.m. Monday. Wawona was evacuated Wednesday when the fire was moving toward that community.
The El Portal area also had its evacuation order lifted Monday, fire officials announced via news release. As of 6 p.m. residents were allowed to return to their homes. The area remains under fire advisement, meaning it could be evacuated again if conditions change.
At the peak of the fire last month, around 4,500 residences had been evacuated. As of Sunday, 900 residences had remained under evacuation orders, said Mariposa Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kristie Mitchell. Of that number, officials haven’t said how many residences were in Wawona and El Portal.
“They should feel very secure at this point. We would never put residents back in their homes if there was any chance that their safety was not the number one priority,” Mitchell said.
Progress was made south of Wawona to the South Fork of the Merced River, where firefighters successfully continued tactical firing operations, said Sam Harrel, spokesperson for the Ferguson Fire unified command. Those operations left the area well-equipped to stop the blaze once it spreads there, he said.
Ten structures have been destroyed, with another 995 still threatened.
While Wawona is open to residents again, Yosemite Valley and some other areas within Yosemite National Park are still closed indefinitely.
Jamie Richards, spokesperson for Yosemite National Park, said all roads leading in and out of Yosemite Valley have been damaged by the fire. “We don’t know when we’re going to be able to reopen those roads safely to the public and we want to be completely up front about that,” Richards said.
Yosemite Valley and Wawona have been closed since July 25, making it the park’s longest closure since a 1997 flood that forced a closure of about two and a half months, according to Richards. “This is not the longest closure we’ve had, but it will definitely be a memorable one,” she said.
Richards acknowledged how difficult the recent closure has been for the park, visitors, residents and small business owners from Yosemite’s gateway communities.
The only way into the park is though Lee Vining to Crane Flat. Tioga Road from Tioga Pass to White Wolf remain open to visitors, but Richards warned the area is clouded with smoke. Air quality in Tuolomne Meadows varied between unhealthy and hazardous Sunday, with the same projections Monday.
The fire jumped Highway 41 on Friday and burned near Badger Pass. Harrel said a lot of resources poured into that area to prevent the fire from burning any further. The biggest safety concern was damage the fire caused to the nearby roads.
Even with resources being drawn away to deal with the blaze jumping Highway 41 and spot fires, officials still say Aug. 15 is the expected date for full containment.
The Ferguson Fire is one of two active fires in Mariposa County. Cal Fire reported The Wagner Fire, burning east of Coulterville, was at 22 acres and 90 percent contained Monday.
There are 2,689 personnel assigned to the Ferguson Fire, including 203 fire engines, 20 water tenders, 14 helicopters and 33 bulldozers.
Two firefighters have died fighting the blaze, while another 12 have been injured.
While the Ferguson Fire has grown to be larger than last year’s Detwiler Fire, it is currently the third largest active fire in California, according to Cal Fire. Mendocino’s Complex Fire is 273,664 acres while Shasta County’s Carr Fire at 163,207 acres.
This story was originally published August 6, 2018 at 4:55 PM.