Highway 140 Entrance Opening

Yosemite, CA – A section of Highway 140 that has been closed since Tuesday, shortly after the Dog Rock Fire near El Portal began, will reopen this weekend.  The Arch Rock Station entrance will begin allowing traffic back into the park on October 12, Sunday morning at 8 a.m.

“The fire is definitely starting to cool down,” says Ranger Kari Cobb, “A lot of the activity is far enough away from Highway 140 so we can open it up.  That is really good news for those people who commute down the highway and for those visitors who want to come to the long weekend.”

Cobb warns there could still be some hazards along the roadway so she cautions visitors to slow down.  She adds that small rocks continue to fall onto the roadway and there will be plenty of fire personnel in the area.

“We are seeing some hazard logs that are still falling as well so watch out for any vegetation that may be falling off of the cliffs. We feel that it is pretty stable at this point and we are going to make sure to increase our patrols along the road so hazards don’t stay on the roadway,” said Cobb.

Visitors will not be able to stop along the roadway as the fire area is closed for recreational activities.  In addition, PG&E crews hope to have power restored to the Yosemite Valley late this evening.  Customers have been without electricity for the past four days.

The Dog Rock Fire is currently 311 acres and 20% contained.  Fire Officials say crews continue fire suppression efforts and are making good progress.  As reported earlier, the cause of the blaze is believed to have been metal sparks from a vehicle.

Resources assisting in battling the fire include the U.S. Forest Service, CAL Fire, National Park Service, and other local government agencies.  For road conditions in the Park, call (209) 372-0200.