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There have been many comments on each news article about the Big Meadows Fire in Yosemite National Park. People are expressing pure frustration at the seeming lack of planning and poor timing for this prescribed burn.
This is an image from Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services here. 
Prescribed burns are an attempt to manage our forests, obviously a challenging feat.
"Due to decades of fire suppression, the natural occurrence of fire was eliminated, resulting in overgrown and unhealthy forests. Naturally occurring fires allow forests to be thinned, opening the canopy and allowing sunlight through. Fire also allows for the recycling of nutrients to the soil while reducing the amount of dead, woody debris. This allows for the sprouting and regrowth of plants, shrubs and trees. A large accumulation of combustible material on the forest floor is hazardous and threatens to destroy forests and structures in an unwanted fire."
We all suffer to varying degrees from the poor air quality and fret over our itchy eyes and dry throats. Keep your children inside and away from the smoke and help others avoid it as much as possible.
The Mother Lode has survived many fires and our towns have been rebuilt many times in the past from the ashes. This too shall pass, we wish a safe and speedy resolution end to this fire.
As Stephen J. Pyne, professor at Arizona State University who specializes in the history of fire, said: "...we can't cut our way out of the problem. We can't burn our way out. We can't simply suppress. And we can't walk away. But maybe, we can cut a little, burn a little, suppress a little, and sometimes just back off from a fire that we can't hope to stop. The process will take decades, not years, but taken together, a lot of small steps could make a big difference."
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