Fire Continues to Grow, Still Threatening Yosemite’s Iconic Sequoia Grove

A wildfire in California’s Yosemite National Park remains a threat to the renowned Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. However, according to fire incident spokesperson Robbie Johnson, the trees have not sustained any significant damage as of Sunday afternoon.

The Washburn Fire, which spans 1,591 acres, has now entered the grove. But the good news is, thanks to earlier prescribed burns and ground clearing, the Mariposa Grove itself remains clear of danger, said Johnson.

Firefighters have cleared away logs, dead trees, branches, and undergrowth surrounding the giant sequoias to protect them from the fire, Johnson added.

"Firefighters carried out a controlled burn to further safeguard the trees, creating a protective 'donut hole' around them. One ecologist even expressed satisfaction with how the sequoias are being preserved," Johnson explained.

Mariposa Grove is home to over 500 majestic giant sequoia trees, some of which rise over 250 feet. Though the grove itself was founded in 1857, many of these trees have stood for over two millennia, with some estimated to be more than 2,000 years old.

The Washburn Fire began on July 7.

On Sunday morning, Scott Gediman, the park's chief spokesperson, shared with Dinogo that the fire was dangerously close to the grove, with flames surrounding it.

He also mentioned that the fire was roughly one to two miles away from the Wawona Hotel, the park's oldest hotel, which opened in 1856, according to its website. Park authorities have issued evacuation orders for those in the Wawona campground and nearby areas.

Since it started on July 7, the Washburn Fire has doubled in size from Saturday to Sunday, now threatening the lower reaches of Mariposa Grove. A total of 360 firefighters are currently working both on the ground and from the air to contain the blaze, according to park officials.

Fire crews are also focused on protecting communities located about five miles north of the fire, as the flames continue to spread, Gediman reported.

Gediman explained, 'Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, but it's the intense, high-severity fires that cause major damage, as seen with the Creek Fire and the TCF complex in Sequoia National Park last year.'

He noted that the terrain is 'steep and densely forested,' so crews are relying on both aerial and ground support to manage the situation. 'Air support is valuable, but we have numerous hotshot crews and ground firefighters working to suppress the blaze. It's a coordinated effort, combining both ground and aerial tactics, that will ultimately lead to the fire's containment.'

Firefighters made progress at the fire's origin point near the Mariposa Grove area, as reported earlier on Sunday by Matt Ahearn, operations section chief with California Interagency Incident Management Team 13.

'At the top end of the Mariposa Grove, the fire has moved into the grove to some extent,' Ahearn explained. 'We have crews working on the edges, building handlines from the bottom up, and now we need to reinforce those lines with hoses.'

Ahearn noted that hotshot crews are heading to the area, and the fire's total acreage is expected to be updated later on Sunday following aerial reconnaissance.

In a statement posted to InciWeb, a platform used for coordinating fire response efforts, officials reported that the fire is spreading in challenging terrain with dense, combustible materials surrounding the area.

'The 2013-2015 period saw significant tree mortality, leaving a considerable amount of dead standing and fallen trees, which pose serious safety risks to firefighters,' the statement explained.

A sprinkler system has been set up to protect the renowned Grizzly Giant Sequoia tree from the advancing flames.

The forecast predicts rising temperatures throughout the week. However, fire scars from previous fires, located between one and three miles from the current fire perimeter, are expected to slow its spread, officials stated.

Firefighters have deployed a sprinkler system around the iconic Grizzly Giant Sequoia in Mariposa Grove to safeguard it from the flames. Park authorities have confirmed that the grove will remain closed until further notice.

Yosemite is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, attracting over 3.3 million visitors in 2021. It spans nearly 1,200 square miles in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in eastern California.

The Electra Fire continues to rage across the region.

At the same time, crews in California are fighting the Electra Fire, which has burned over 4,400 acres across Amador and Calaveras counties, located in the Sierra Nevada, according to Cal Fire.

The fire sparked California’s first-ever night water-drop operation on Wednesday, with a helicopter dropping around 12,000 gallons of water onto the flames, as reported by Cal Fire Battalion Chief Isaac Sanchez.

'The helicopter was deployed to assist in cooling and containing a previous firing operation conducted earlier in the afternoon,' Sanchez explained. 'While assisting with this, the helicopter also identified areas where the fire had spread beyond the containment lines and was able to help fully extinguish and contain those sections.'

Wildfires have devastated the western United States in recent years, with the situation worsened by prolonged droughts linked to climate change. In California alone, over 2.5 million acres were consumed by nearly 9,000 fires last year, according to Cal Fire.

In Southern California, officials have warned of another tough summer and fall ahead, as they face a shortage of firefighting personnel and increasing demands on their resources.

The wildfire threat is not limited to California. Robert Garcia, the US Forest Service’s fire chief for the Angeles National Forest, expressed concern over the summer’s early start. Since March, firefighting teams have been deployed to Arizona and New Mexico, where the Black Fire recently became the second-largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history.

'Southern California’s fire season traditionally begins in late June and extends into the fall,' Garcia said to Dinogo last month. 'But this year, we are seeing wildfire activity year-round.'