Climbs in Washburn Fire Acreage and Containment

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Yosemite, CA – There has been slight growth and the containment has climbed on the Washburn Fire burning in Yosemite National Park and now in the Sierra National Forest.

The latest numbers are that 4,822 acres have been scorched and the containment has reached 37%. Fire officials detailed, “Weather continues to stay consistently warm and dry with active to very active fire behavior. This active behavior will possibly include group torching as fire backs down to the Merced River and upstream near Iron Creek.” They added that mop-up and hazard tree removal operations are in place along Yosemite’s Wawona Road and the Mariposa Grove.

To aid firefighters and protect public safety during the Washburn Fire, the Sierra National Forest has issued a Washburn Fire Closure Forest Order. It is effective through August 1st. As of today, fire restrictions are in effect below 8,000 feet of elevation, as earlier reported here. Also, this week, fire officials determined that the flames were human-caused, as detailed here.

All evacuation and road closures remain in place. To date, no structures have been destroyed or damaged, and there have been no serious injuries related to the fire. Currently, there is 1,623 personnel battling the blaze. For air quality conditions, click here.