Prescribed Burn Planned For Yosemite

Yosemite, CA — Yosemite National Park officials say fire managers are planning a 61-acre prescribed burn in the Ahwahnee Meadow next week.

Ignition will take one day, and the burn itself will last 2-4 days. Smoke will be present throughout Yosemite Valley. Fire managers are working with the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District to time the project to coincide with favorable weather that will facilitate good air quality.

The National Park Service reports the objective of the burn is ecosystem restoration. American Indians frequently used fire in this area to shape the landscape and their uses. Adding to the vegetation overgrowth, according to the NPS, has been decades of active fire suppression.