Advise against camping in Yosemite

[Otters]

The "Rim Fire" near Yosemite is out of control and over 55,000 acres have burned and its only 2% containe. We're 2 hours from Yosemite and the air quality and ashes are so bad you cannot breathe. Eyes are burning, breathing difficult and coughing. Here's a couple of pictures. First from our back deck of hills directly behind that are barely visable. The second is sun over the Sierras from the deck. You cannot see the mountains at all. Pictures aren't enhanced, the air is that orange and the sun is a bright red. Its quite Eerie.
If you have planned camping within 3 hrs from the Yosemite, you may want to reconsider. The air quality is just too bad for your health.

[Cricket]

Yikes! Stay safe!

[Donna D.]

There are horrible fires burning out of control all over the western US. Frankly, unless we get some good rain between now and Labor Day, I'd like to see the forests closed to camping... totally. It's only one long weekend out of the year and we don't need anymore fires because there WILL be folks who ignore burn bans....

Stay safe Linda!

[teri85]

If you have reservations in the Park the air quality looked good today, based on the local SF Bay Area news.

Stay Safe.

I agree with you Donna. To many folks who insist on campfires when camping and its 60+ degrees.

Teri

[Otters]

Agree with Donna too. There are dozens of wildfires burning right now in the West. The Rim Fire was 5% contained yesterday and conditions have caused a change to 2% contained. Best to call ahead if you're planning to vacation anywhere near any of the fire areas. You may be safe from the fires but the air quality can really ruin your experience. I say this as I'm coughing inside my home in Minden, NV 120 mi. NE of the fire.

[Joy A]

I'm in Sonora just north of the fire. I went as far as I could south and east of town about 12 miles to look at the fire yesterday around 2pm. They were saying it was 12,000 to 15,000 acres and 10% contained. This morning around 8am the fire was 53,000 acres and 5% contained. The acreage hasn't been updated but the containment is between 1 & 2%.

Adjacient to Groveland is Pine Mountain Lake basically a golf community of some 3,000 of more homes. Early this evening they told all of Pine Mountain to evacuate to with the nearest evacuation center at our Fair Grounds here in Sonora. They had been given an advisory yesterday so hopefully most people were packed up by today. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

The smoke settles down during the night and has heavy until about 9 or 10am when the wind moves it up and north/east. The smoke has gone down into the San Joaqin/Sacramento Valleys and north along the foothills as well as Tahoe/Reno/Nevada.


As to camping in Yosemite the smoke is blowing away from the Valley. It's a big fire and there is lots acreage between it and Yosemite proper. Our highway 120 entrance from the north is closed but it is open where it turns east out of the valley over Tioga Pass. There are 2 other entries the middle on highway 140 out of Merced and the south on highway 41 out of Fresno. I wouldn't hesitate to go if I had reservation which you really need this time of year.

[Otters]

Thanks for the update Joy. I'm North East of the fire area so that explains why the smoke was so heavy here today. We're just at the base of Lake Tahoe Sierras.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

There are horrible fires burning out of control all over the western US. Frankly, unless we get some good rain between now and Labor Day, I'd like to see the forests closed to camping... totally. It's only one long weekend out of the year and we don't need anymore fires because there WILL be folks who ignore burn bans....

Stay safe Linda!

It's not just campers with camp fires, target shooting has been implicated in several fires, mostly smaller but doce and sunflower fires were pretty big and one is suspected and one known to be firearm related (kid shot a flare made for shotguns into a bush).

With hunting season coming soon many hunters (at least the smart ones) are getting some practice in. Having an extinguisher, making sure fire restrictions have not banned shooting, and taking a look around when done just to make sure no stone spark has started things smoldering would be a way to be responsible shooters.

[itlives]

That's all good advice Roger -and something I never thought of -and I'm a shooter!
Thanks! I will take more care even though I never started a fire like that or know anyone that has, it is smart to be smart!

[Bob Miller]

Considering how difficult it is to have gotten reservations for camping in Yosemite in August, it's a hard sell to tell someone to stay away.

I'd almost be willing to bet, even with the fire going some 25 miles away, that the air quality in the valley is better than it was in the 70's when my ex and I were involved in the first master plan for Yosemite. At that time August a.q. was on a par with Los Angeles.

Unless I had significant health issues I'd still go, The NPS hasn't issued any warnings for general use, as of yet anyway. The good news, the fire will keep a lot of day users home.

"Every summer you don't go Yosemite, is one summer closer to never going at all....."

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

It's not just campers with camp fires, target shooting has been implicated in several fires, mostly smaller but doce and sunflower fires were pretty big and one is suspected and one known to be firearm related (kid shot a flare made for shotguns into a bush).

With hunting season coming soon many hunters (at least the smart ones) are getting some practice in. Having an extinguisher, making sure fire restrictions have not banned shooting, and taking a look around when done just to make sure no stone spark has started things smoldering would be a way to be responsible shooters.

There's plenty of reasons for wild fires.
Natural = lightning
Arsen = illegal aliens and hoods

[Joy A]

Update the fire doubled again is reported as 105,000 acres with 2% containment.

The smoke is still going north and east so it's not impacting the Yosemite Valley which is where most people go. I saw some pictures from the Valley...looks clear to me even better than usual for August. I was told they don't even smell the smoke.