WawonaNews.com - July 2024
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/fre.jpeg?1721871204)
Fire Update - July 24, 2024
Yosemite National Park has seen multiple thunderstorms over the past two weeks and the weather outlook calls for continued thunderstorm activity. Yosemite Fire has responded to 14 fires since July 13, 2024, with three active fires remaining. These fires are in high elevation wilderness ranging from 7,600 to 9,800 feet and fire managers are assessing conditions and response. The Porcupine, Wegner, and Dorothy fires have firefighters regularly providing updates on conditions.
Yosemite National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem. The overall strategy for all wildland fires is to provide for the safety of employees, the public, and to protect and enhance natural and cultural resources.
Porcupine
Location: North of Tioga Road, southwest of Wegner Lake.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,800’
Wegner
Location: Near Mount Hoffman, surrounded by granite
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,500’
Dorothy
Location: Just south of Dorothy Lake, surrounded by talus
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,600’
Thank you for your interest!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
https://go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X/Twitter @YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
Yosemite National Park has seen multiple thunderstorms over the past two weeks and the weather outlook calls for continued thunderstorm activity. Yosemite Fire has responded to 14 fires since July 13, 2024, with three active fires remaining. These fires are in high elevation wilderness ranging from 7,600 to 9,800 feet and fire managers are assessing conditions and response. The Porcupine, Wegner, and Dorothy fires have firefighters regularly providing updates on conditions.
Yosemite National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem. The overall strategy for all wildland fires is to provide for the safety of employees, the public, and to protect and enhance natural and cultural resources.
Porcupine
Location: North of Tioga Road, southwest of Wegner Lake.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,800’
Wegner
Location: Near Mount Hoffman, surrounded by granite
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,500’
Dorothy
Location: Just south of Dorothy Lake, surrounded by talus
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,600’
Thank you for your interest!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
https://go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X/Twitter @YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/image001_orig.jpg)
Fire Update - July 17, 2024
Yosemite National Park has seen multiple thunderstorms over the past week that produced twelve lightning strike fires. These fires are in high elevation wilderness ranging from 4,700 to 9,800 feet and fire managers are assessing conditions and response. The Aspen, Grove, Dog Leg, Smith, Dewey, and Harden fires have been contained. The Indian, Porcupine, Cascade, Wegner, Eagle Creek, and Dorothy fires have firefighters on scene providing updates on conditions. Some of these will be assessed by air due to inaccessibility and some will be hiked by crews.
Some areas of the park received precipitation from these storms; as conditions dry out, we may see additional fires.
Yosemite National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem. The overall strategy for all wildland fires is to provide for the safety of employees and the public and protect and enhance natural and cultural resources.
Ackerson – Stanislaus National Forest
Location: North of Ackerson Meadow, 0.2 miles outside of the park boundary in Stanislaus NF.
Note: Yosemite Fire resources provided initial attack for mutual aid assistance to Stanislaus National Forest (STF) until STF resources arrived on scene.
Discovery Date: July 15, 2024 Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 4,700’
Aspen
Location: One mile west of Aspen Valley.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 6,200’
Grove
Location: Northwest of Crane Flat near the Tuolumne Grove Road.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 4,700’
Dog Leg
Location: Northeast of Crane Flat, near Unicorn Creek.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 5,200’
Smith
Location: Southeast of Smith Peak, south of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,200’
Dewey
Location: Southwest of Dewey Point.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,200’
Harden
Location: Northwest of White Wolf, west of Harden Lake.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,200’
Indian
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Lehamite Creek.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,400’
Porcupine
Location: North of Tioga Road, southwest of Wegner Lake.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,800’
Cascade
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Yosemite Creek.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,600’
Wegner
Location: Near Mount Hoffman.
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,500’
Eagle Creek
Location: East of Lukens Lake Trail, west of Yosemite Creek.
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,900’
Dorothy
Location: Just south of Dorothy Lake.
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,600’
Thank you for your interest!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
https://go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X/Twitter @YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
Yosemite National Park has seen multiple thunderstorms over the past week that produced twelve lightning strike fires. These fires are in high elevation wilderness ranging from 4,700 to 9,800 feet and fire managers are assessing conditions and response. The Aspen, Grove, Dog Leg, Smith, Dewey, and Harden fires have been contained. The Indian, Porcupine, Cascade, Wegner, Eagle Creek, and Dorothy fires have firefighters on scene providing updates on conditions. Some of these will be assessed by air due to inaccessibility and some will be hiked by crews.
Some areas of the park received precipitation from these storms; as conditions dry out, we may see additional fires.
Yosemite National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem. The overall strategy for all wildland fires is to provide for the safety of employees and the public and protect and enhance natural and cultural resources.
Ackerson – Stanislaus National Forest
Location: North of Ackerson Meadow, 0.2 miles outside of the park boundary in Stanislaus NF.
Note: Yosemite Fire resources provided initial attack for mutual aid assistance to Stanislaus National Forest (STF) until STF resources arrived on scene.
Discovery Date: July 15, 2024 Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 4,700’
Aspen
Location: One mile west of Aspen Valley.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 6,200’
Grove
Location: Northwest of Crane Flat near the Tuolumne Grove Road.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 4,700’
Dog Leg
Location: Northeast of Crane Flat, near Unicorn Creek.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 5,200’
Smith
Location: Southeast of Smith Peak, south of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,200’
Dewey
Location: Southwest of Dewey Point.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,200’
Harden
Location: Northwest of White Wolf, west of Harden Lake.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 100% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,200’
Indian
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Lehamite Creek.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,400’
Porcupine
Location: North of Tioga Road, southwest of Wegner Lake.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,800’
Cascade
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Yosemite Creek.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,600’
Wegner
Location: Near Mount Hoffman.
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,500’
Eagle Creek
Location: East of Lukens Lake Trail, west of Yosemite Creek.
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 7,900’
Dorothy
Location: Just south of Dorothy Lake.
Discovery Date: July 16, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Elevation: 9,600’
Thank you for your interest!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
https://go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X/Twitter @YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/badge.jpg?1721017494)
Fire Update - July 14, 2024
Thunderstorms developed over Yosemite National Park over the past few days and nine lightning fires have been detected. These fires are in high elevation wilderness ranging from 4,700 to 9,800 feet and fire managers are assessing conditions and response. The Aspen, Grove, Dog Leg, Smith, and Dewey fires are being actively suppressed with ground crews and/or aviation assets where appropriate. The Indian, Porcupine, Harden, and Cascade fires will have firefighters on scene providing updates on conditions.
Some areas of the park received precipitation from this storm; as fuels dry out, we may see additional fires.
Yosemite National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem. The overall strategy for managing all wildland fires is to provide for the safety of employees and the public and protect and enhance natural and cultural resources.
Aspen
Location: One mile west of Aspen Valley. 6,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Grove
Location: Northwest of Crane Flat near the Tuolumne Grove Road. 4,700’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Dog Leg
Location: Northeast of Crane Flat, near Unicorn Creek. 5,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Smith
Location: Southeast of Smith Peak, south of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. 7,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Dewey
Location: Southwest of Dewey Point. 7,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Indian
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Lehamite Creek. 7,400’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Porcupine
Location: North of Tioga Road, southwest of Wegner Lake. 9,800’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Harden
Location: Northwest of White Wolf, west of Harden Lake. 7,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Cascade
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Yosemite Creek. 7,600’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Thank you for your interest!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X/Twitter @YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
Thunderstorms developed over Yosemite National Park over the past few days and nine lightning fires have been detected. These fires are in high elevation wilderness ranging from 4,700 to 9,800 feet and fire managers are assessing conditions and response. The Aspen, Grove, Dog Leg, Smith, and Dewey fires are being actively suppressed with ground crews and/or aviation assets where appropriate. The Indian, Porcupine, Harden, and Cascade fires will have firefighters on scene providing updates on conditions.
Some areas of the park received precipitation from this storm; as fuels dry out, we may see additional fires.
Yosemite National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem. The overall strategy for managing all wildland fires is to provide for the safety of employees and the public and protect and enhance natural and cultural resources.
Aspen
Location: One mile west of Aspen Valley. 6,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Grove
Location: Northwest of Crane Flat near the Tuolumne Grove Road. 4,700’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Dog Leg
Location: Northeast of Crane Flat, near Unicorn Creek. 5,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Smith
Location: Southeast of Smith Peak, south of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. 7,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Dewey
Location: Southwest of Dewey Point. 7,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Indian
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Lehamite Creek. 7,400’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Porcupine
Location: North of Tioga Road, southwest of Wegner Lake. 9,800’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Harden
Location: Northwest of White Wolf, west of Harden Lake. 7,200’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Cascade
Location: South of Tioga Road, west of Yosemite Creek. 7,600’ elevation.
Discovery Date: July 13, 2024 Size: 0.1 acre
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Thank you for your interest!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X/Twitter @YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/ber_orig.jpg)
Ultra-runner near the end of a 50-mile excursion attacked by a bear in Yosemite Valley
By Jack Dolan LA Times Staff Writer
July 10, 2024
Jon-Kyle Mohr was less than a mile from the end of an epic adventure he’d been planning for years: a 50-mile run from his home in June Lake, over the towering Sierra Nevada, then down into the spectacular natural amphitheater of Yosemite Valley.
His long, hot, exhausting day was seconds from ending in triumph Sunday night when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a huge black shape charging at him.
In an instant, he said, he felt “some sharpness” on his shoulder followed by a powerful shove that sent him stumbling in the dark. When he turned around, people about a hundred feet away were shining their headlamps in his direction and shouting, “Bear!”
And then, right in front of him, he saw the large, adult black bear. The collision had knocked a stolen bag of juicy-looking garbage from the animal’s mouth, and it didn’t seem happy. Before Mohr could fully process what was happening, “it was coming back at me,” he said.
Mohr, 33, started yelling and slapping his running poles on the pavement, he said, as people from a nearby campground came to his aid, shouting and banging pots and pans.
It worked. The bear disappeared into the darkness. Mohr’s clothes were torn, and he had a few scratches, but there was no more serious damage done.
Mohr said he feels lucky. Given the staggering force of that single blow, “if it seriously wanted to inflict any kind of actual harm, it totally could have.”
Black bear sightings are common in Yosemite; hundreds of them live in the park. But attacks — or accidental collisions, as appears to have happened in this case — are rare. Mohr said one of the rangers who responded said he’d been in the park for decades and had never seen anything like it.
Scott Gediman, a spokesman for Yosemite National Park said, he had not received clearance to talk about what happened to Mohr.
Bad things sometimes happen when people get too close to bears trying to take selfies, or when they surprise the animals rummaging in their cars or tents. But an unprovoked attack on someone walking down the road is almost unheard of, according to park officials.
Mohr said the collision happened on the road near Happy Isles, not far from the Vernal Falls trailhead, one of the most populated places in the park.
As of July 6, there had been eight bear “incidents” this year, according to information published on the park’s website. An incident is any time an encounter with a bear causes monetary damage — when a bear smashes a car window to get the food left inside, for example — or when a bear injures someone, which the website describes as “fairly uncommon.”
The number of incidents is down 20% from last year, when there were 38 in total, according to the National Park Service.
But bears have become more active in Yosemite Valley lately, due to a ripening crop of natural raspberries, according to the park service. A sow and her cub have been seen repeatedly on the trails, in the meadows and near the popular campgrounds.
All bears encountered in Yosemite are black bears; the last known grizzly was shot in the early 1920s. No one has been killed or seriously injured by a black bear in Yosemite, according to the website.
In an interview on Monday afternoon, Mohr was still a little rattled and searching for the words to describe what had happened.
That single swipe of the bear’s powerful paw tore through his sun hoodie and the shirt underneath it, Mohr said. It also ripped a few holes in his running vest. He had two substantial scratches with some blood, but nothing too deep or worrying, he said.
An ambulance arrived and the medics bandaged his wounds, but Mohr said he declined transport to a hospital.
Using a tracking device, park rangers located a familiar bear nearby and started searching for it, Mohr said. They told him it had been tranquilized earlier on Sunday morning and fitted with a tracking collar. They did not explain what had prompted that action, Mohr said.
“It sounds like the bear and I had equally crazy days,” Mohr joked.
An avid and experienced trail runner, Mohr knows there are much more likely hazards to consider on big adventures in the back country: twisting an ankle, straying off course, getting dangerously dehydrated in the heat. Bears are very low on the list of concerns.
Which is why what happened just seven-tenths of a mile from the finish was so freaky.
He had started his run 15 hours and 59 minutes earlier, according to his watch.
“It was just a really strange, random collision,” he said. “If I had rested my feet for 20 seconds longer at any point over the sixteen hours, it wouldn’t have happened.”
By Jack Dolan LA Times Staff Writer
July 10, 2024
Jon-Kyle Mohr was less than a mile from the end of an epic adventure he’d been planning for years: a 50-mile run from his home in June Lake, over the towering Sierra Nevada, then down into the spectacular natural amphitheater of Yosemite Valley.
His long, hot, exhausting day was seconds from ending in triumph Sunday night when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a huge black shape charging at him.
In an instant, he said, he felt “some sharpness” on his shoulder followed by a powerful shove that sent him stumbling in the dark. When he turned around, people about a hundred feet away were shining their headlamps in his direction and shouting, “Bear!”
And then, right in front of him, he saw the large, adult black bear. The collision had knocked a stolen bag of juicy-looking garbage from the animal’s mouth, and it didn’t seem happy. Before Mohr could fully process what was happening, “it was coming back at me,” he said.
Mohr, 33, started yelling and slapping his running poles on the pavement, he said, as people from a nearby campground came to his aid, shouting and banging pots and pans.
It worked. The bear disappeared into the darkness. Mohr’s clothes were torn, and he had a few scratches, but there was no more serious damage done.
Mohr said he feels lucky. Given the staggering force of that single blow, “if it seriously wanted to inflict any kind of actual harm, it totally could have.”
Black bear sightings are common in Yosemite; hundreds of them live in the park. But attacks — or accidental collisions, as appears to have happened in this case — are rare. Mohr said one of the rangers who responded said he’d been in the park for decades and had never seen anything like it.
Scott Gediman, a spokesman for Yosemite National Park said, he had not received clearance to talk about what happened to Mohr.
Bad things sometimes happen when people get too close to bears trying to take selfies, or when they surprise the animals rummaging in their cars or tents. But an unprovoked attack on someone walking down the road is almost unheard of, according to park officials.
Mohr said the collision happened on the road near Happy Isles, not far from the Vernal Falls trailhead, one of the most populated places in the park.
As of July 6, there had been eight bear “incidents” this year, according to information published on the park’s website. An incident is any time an encounter with a bear causes monetary damage — when a bear smashes a car window to get the food left inside, for example — or when a bear injures someone, which the website describes as “fairly uncommon.”
The number of incidents is down 20% from last year, when there were 38 in total, according to the National Park Service.
But bears have become more active in Yosemite Valley lately, due to a ripening crop of natural raspberries, according to the park service. A sow and her cub have been seen repeatedly on the trails, in the meadows and near the popular campgrounds.
All bears encountered in Yosemite are black bears; the last known grizzly was shot in the early 1920s. No one has been killed or seriously injured by a black bear in Yosemite, according to the website.
In an interview on Monday afternoon, Mohr was still a little rattled and searching for the words to describe what had happened.
That single swipe of the bear’s powerful paw tore through his sun hoodie and the shirt underneath it, Mohr said. It also ripped a few holes in his running vest. He had two substantial scratches with some blood, but nothing too deep or worrying, he said.
An ambulance arrived and the medics bandaged his wounds, but Mohr said he declined transport to a hospital.
Using a tracking device, park rangers located a familiar bear nearby and started searching for it, Mohr said. They told him it had been tranquilized earlier on Sunday morning and fitted with a tracking collar. They did not explain what had prompted that action, Mohr said.
“It sounds like the bear and I had equally crazy days,” Mohr joked.
An avid and experienced trail runner, Mohr knows there are much more likely hazards to consider on big adventures in the back country: twisting an ankle, straying off course, getting dangerously dehydrated in the heat. Bears are very low on the list of concerns.
Which is why what happened just seven-tenths of a mile from the finish was so freaky.
He had started his run 15 hours and 59 minutes earlier, according to his watch.
“It was just a really strange, random collision,” he said. “If I had rested my feet for 20 seconds longer at any point over the sixteen hours, it wouldn’t have happened.”
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/71937e79-1916-4659-a739-07aa5b1c60cc-medium16x9-orangecoverfireprotectiondistrict1.jpg?1720449494)
French Fire Stopped
July 8 - CAL Fire - The French had minimal fire activity overnight. Firefighters continue to mop up, patrol and reinforce fireline to prevent any hot embers or smoldering vegetation from extending past the established control line. The weather is hot and very dry with little to no relative humidity recovery. Suppression repair efforts have begun and damage assessment is 75% complete.
Fire equipment remain in the area. Please use caution when driving.
The fire information line has been down staffed.
July 8 - CAL Fire - The French had minimal fire activity overnight. Firefighters continue to mop up, patrol and reinforce fireline to prevent any hot embers or smoldering vegetation from extending past the established control line. The weather is hot and very dry with little to no relative humidity recovery. Suppression repair efforts have begun and damage assessment is 75% complete.
Fire equipment remain in the area. Please use caution when driving.
The fire information line has been down staffed.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/sda.jpg?1720360820)
French Fire Update: No New Acreage and 45% Contained
CAl Fire - July 7
The French Fire is 908 acres and 45% contained. Firefighters continue to improve containment lines, mop up and patrol. More hot, dry weather, with little night time recoveries is expected. Damage assessment is ongoing.
CAl Fire - July 7
The French Fire is 908 acres and 45% contained. Firefighters continue to improve containment lines, mop up and patrol. More hot, dry weather, with little night time recoveries is expected. Damage assessment is ongoing.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/frtu.jpg?1720280792)
French Fire Update: 908 Acres, 25% Contained
July 6 - CAL Fire - fire is 908 acres and 25% contained. Overnight, firefighters constructed additional fireline and contingency line in the area near Allred Rd, Stockton Creek and Slaughterhouse Rd. due to the steep terrain and potential for burning fuels to roll across the containment line. Mop-up within the fire perimeter, line improvement and tactical patrol where fireline has been established will continue today. Weather forecasts for the fire area indicate excessive heat will continue to increase and winds will strengthen while relative humidities and fuel moisture decrease. These conditions create fuels that are more receptive to ignition and areas of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter may burn causing smoke to be visible to the public.
July 6 - CAL Fire - fire is 908 acres and 25% contained. Overnight, firefighters constructed additional fireline and contingency line in the area near Allred Rd, Stockton Creek and Slaughterhouse Rd. due to the steep terrain and potential for burning fuels to roll across the containment line. Mop-up within the fire perimeter, line improvement and tactical patrol where fireline has been established will continue today. Weather forecasts for the fire area indicate excessive heat will continue to increase and winds will strengthen while relative humidities and fuel moisture decrease. These conditions create fuels that are more receptive to ignition and areas of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter may burn causing smoke to be visible to the public.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/ff_orig.jpg)
French Fire Update: 850 Acres, 15% Contained, Highway 140 Reopens
Jul6 5, 2:00 PM
Highway 140 from Mariposa to Yosemite National Park has reopened from the junction of Highway 49 with traffic controls. The fire remains at 843 acres but now has 15% containment.
Yosemite National Park is open. Access to Yosemite National Park is open on all highways, but delays could be expected if taking Highway 140 through Mariposa. Please drive carefully in this area, as fire crews are present and working to contain the French Fire.
Evacuation orders for most of the town of Mariposa were lifted today as well.
Smoke impacts and lowered air quality may be an issue in the region in the coming days as the impacts of the French Fire continue to be mitigated.
Links for more information:
For regular updates:
Watchduty App
Evacuation information
Health & Human Services Agency - crisis line (209) 966-7000
CAL FIRE incident page
Mt. Bullion Fire and Alert Camera
CalTrans Road Information (Enter 41, 140, 120 and 49 into the search for local highway info)
Air Quality Information
Jul6 5, 2:00 PM
Highway 140 from Mariposa to Yosemite National Park has reopened from the junction of Highway 49 with traffic controls. The fire remains at 843 acres but now has 15% containment.
Yosemite National Park is open. Access to Yosemite National Park is open on all highways, but delays could be expected if taking Highway 140 through Mariposa. Please drive carefully in this area, as fire crews are present and working to contain the French Fire.
Evacuation orders for most of the town of Mariposa were lifted today as well.
Smoke impacts and lowered air quality may be an issue in the region in the coming days as the impacts of the French Fire continue to be mitigated.
Links for more information:
For regular updates:
Watchduty App
Evacuation information
Health & Human Services Agency - crisis line (209) 966-7000
CAL FIRE incident page
Mt. Bullion Fire and Alert Camera
CalTrans Road Information (Enter 41, 140, 120 and 49 into the search for local highway info)
Air Quality Information
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/fren.jpg?1720186493)
French Fire Update - 6:30 AM, July 5
CAL Fire - French Frie is 843 acres and 5% contained. Dozers and handcrews constructed line around the entire eastern side of Mariposa. As fire activity is moderated, firefighters will focus on the eastern side of the fire. Multiple evacuations and road closures are in place. To access the evacuation map, visit https://arcg.is/XyvK11
A fire information line has been established and will be answered 24 hours a day. 209-742-1377
CAL Fire - French Frie is 843 acres and 5% contained. Dozers and handcrews constructed line around the entire eastern side of Mariposa. As fire activity is moderated, firefighters will focus on the eastern side of the fire. Multiple evacuations and road closures are in place. To access the evacuation map, visit https://arcg.is/XyvK11
A fire information line has been established and will be answered 24 hours a day. 209-742-1377
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/fre.jpg?1720156974)
French Fire Closes Rte. 140
Highway 140 is closed in the Mariposa area, outside of Yosemite, due to the French Fire. All other roads to Yosemite are open; expect long delays at entrance stations. The fire is not threatening Yosemite National Park. If you are in the Yosemite area, please be prepared for power outages.
Highway 140 is closed in the Mariposa area, outside of Yosemite, due to the French Fire. All other roads to Yosemite are open; expect long delays at entrance stations. The fire is not threatening Yosemite National Park. If you are in the Yosemite area, please be prepared for power outages.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/rae_orig.jpg)
4th of July in Wawona!
- Parade: Decorate your bike/walking sticks/etc. and meet at the stables on the 4th @ 10 am. All welcome. Route is stables to Pine Tree Market, around Bruce loop, ending at the Market. Watch from anywhere on route but good group spots to watch are the school, library and Market.
- Potluck and Games: Directly after parade in Market Picnic area, bring a meat/veg for grill and/or a side dish/dessert to share. Please bring own mess kit(s).
- Picnic at the Wawona Hotel: 5-7 pm on Saturday the 6th on the Hotel lawn. See Hotel for details.
- Barn Dance: 7-9 pm on Saturday the 6th at the Gray Barn in the Yosemite History Center. Square dancing for all levels. Sponsored by WAPPOA.
- Coffee With a Ranger: 9 am every Wednesday and Sunday at the Market. Free drip coffee for participants!
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/71i8s6v1ail-sl1499.jpg?1719510618)
Transforming Paradise Book Now on Amazon
Exciting news about the long-awaited book by our Wawona neighbor and five-generation Yosemite family, John Broesamle, published yesterday by The Press at California State University, Fresno. Wawona history is featured prominently in the book.
“This is a must-read for those who love Yosemite and its place in the American tale.” — Stephen Shackelton, Former Chief Ranger, Yosemite National Park; Director, National Parks Institute
“The first definitive account – and a stirring, intimate portrait – of how the New Deal transformed a natural wonder into our greatest national park.” — Mark Frost, Author, screenwriter, director, and producer
“Everyone knows Yosemite National Park, a magnificent treasure loved by Americans. Fewer know the New Deal, an extraordinary experiment in public policy that saved an America ravaged by the Great Depression. No one but John Broesamle knows what the New Deal did to remake Yosemite so that millions of Americans could enjoy its glory. This book tells that story – no mere historical anecdote but a vital tale that lives on in Yosemite’s landscape of campgrounds, trails, buildings, and roads today.” — Richard A. Walker, Executive Director, the Living New Deal, UC Berkeley
Glacially-sculpted granite cliffs and breathtaking vistas lure millions of visitors annually to Yosemite National Park. Relatively few, however, know about the contributions and sacrifices made by post-Depression Americans that fundamentally transformed Yosemite into the park of today.
John Broesamle’s Transforming Paradise vividly tells that story, with compelling prose seasoned equally by his years in the Yosemite back country and his expertise as a political historian. In many ways, this is a tale that only Broesamle could tell.
The 1930s were easily the most important and interesting decade in the history of Yosemite. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal created the park we recognize today. Because Roosevelt considered it the preeminent national park, Yosemite became the focal point for addressing the question, what should a national park be? Nothing remotely comparable to the scale of New Deal conservation and construction initiatives has been attempted in Yosemite since.
Strikingly, the story of New Deal Yosemite has never been told. As a senior Yosemite interpretive ranger put it recently: “We know nothing about this.” Transforming Paradise fills the void. Connecting the 1930s with today, it addresses conflicts around environmental theory, battles over protecting iconic natural features, and climate change (first identified in the park in 1935). Transforming Paradise is about Yosemite, and about the planet.
The book further describes a great social and governmental experiment that provided federal jobs to the unemployed. Eight thousand young men worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Yosemite. The book’s cast of characters includes four CCC volunteers – three of them from immigrant families ruined by the Great Depression, and one himself an immigrant from Mexico who went on to become a renowned news photographer. His CCC photos are a highlight of the book.
Transforming Paradise is as much about people as about the park itself. Prominent figures include Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover; First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; General Douglas MacArthur; the legendary Yosemite naturalist Carl Sharsmith; Lorena Hickok, the leading woman reporter of her time; Harold Ickes, the irascible, visionary Secretary of the Interior; Don Tresidder, the controversial head of park concessions; and an all-but-forgotten Yosemite Superintendent, Charles Thomson, who turns out to have been a transformational leader. The book tells how these people changed Yosemite, and how it in turn changed them.
Book available on Amazon. Click here
Exciting news about the long-awaited book by our Wawona neighbor and five-generation Yosemite family, John Broesamle, published yesterday by The Press at California State University, Fresno. Wawona history is featured prominently in the book.
“This is a must-read for those who love Yosemite and its place in the American tale.” — Stephen Shackelton, Former Chief Ranger, Yosemite National Park; Director, National Parks Institute
“The first definitive account – and a stirring, intimate portrait – of how the New Deal transformed a natural wonder into our greatest national park.” — Mark Frost, Author, screenwriter, director, and producer
“Everyone knows Yosemite National Park, a magnificent treasure loved by Americans. Fewer know the New Deal, an extraordinary experiment in public policy that saved an America ravaged by the Great Depression. No one but John Broesamle knows what the New Deal did to remake Yosemite so that millions of Americans could enjoy its glory. This book tells that story – no mere historical anecdote but a vital tale that lives on in Yosemite’s landscape of campgrounds, trails, buildings, and roads today.” — Richard A. Walker, Executive Director, the Living New Deal, UC Berkeley
Glacially-sculpted granite cliffs and breathtaking vistas lure millions of visitors annually to Yosemite National Park. Relatively few, however, know about the contributions and sacrifices made by post-Depression Americans that fundamentally transformed Yosemite into the park of today.
John Broesamle’s Transforming Paradise vividly tells that story, with compelling prose seasoned equally by his years in the Yosemite back country and his expertise as a political historian. In many ways, this is a tale that only Broesamle could tell.
The 1930s were easily the most important and interesting decade in the history of Yosemite. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal created the park we recognize today. Because Roosevelt considered it the preeminent national park, Yosemite became the focal point for addressing the question, what should a national park be? Nothing remotely comparable to the scale of New Deal conservation and construction initiatives has been attempted in Yosemite since.
Strikingly, the story of New Deal Yosemite has never been told. As a senior Yosemite interpretive ranger put it recently: “We know nothing about this.” Transforming Paradise fills the void. Connecting the 1930s with today, it addresses conflicts around environmental theory, battles over protecting iconic natural features, and climate change (first identified in the park in 1935). Transforming Paradise is about Yosemite, and about the planet.
The book further describes a great social and governmental experiment that provided federal jobs to the unemployed. Eight thousand young men worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Yosemite. The book’s cast of characters includes four CCC volunteers – three of them from immigrant families ruined by the Great Depression, and one himself an immigrant from Mexico who went on to become a renowned news photographer. His CCC photos are a highlight of the book.
Transforming Paradise is as much about people as about the park itself. Prominent figures include Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover; First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; General Douglas MacArthur; the legendary Yosemite naturalist Carl Sharsmith; Lorena Hickok, the leading woman reporter of her time; Harold Ickes, the irascible, visionary Secretary of the Interior; Don Tresidder, the controversial head of park concessions; and an all-but-forgotten Yosemite Superintendent, Charles Thomson, who turns out to have been a transformational leader. The book tells how these people changed Yosemite, and how it in turn changed them.
Book available on Amazon. Click here
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/cartoon-funny-yellow-school-bus-rides-along-road-against-backdrop-nature-trees-mountains-vector-cartoon-funny-291959945.jpg?1719250481)
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of June 18
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
- CALL TO ORDER
- ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
- CONSENT AGENDA
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of June 18
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
- ADOPTION OF THE 2024-25 LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN (LCAP)
- ADOPTION OF THE 2024-25 SCHOOL BUDGET
- ADOPTION OF THE LOCAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS REPORT
- ADOPTION OF THE MUSIC AND ARTS GRANT REPORT FOR 2023-24
INFORMATION ITEMS
- REPORT ON LCAP METRICS FOR 2023-24
- STAFF REPORTS
- BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS UPDATE
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- ADJOURNMENT
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/trse_orig.jpg)
New Wawona Listing
$375,0007992 Koon Hollar Rd, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 - 1beds, 1baths, 843sqft. Click here for more info.
$375,0007992 Koon Hollar Rd, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 - 1beds, 1baths, 843sqft. Click here for more info.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/waw.jpg?1718400930)
PUBLIC HEARING
June 18, 2023
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
Adoption of the LCAP and Budget for 2024-25 is scheduled for June 25, 2024 at 5:30 at Wawona Elementary School at 5:30 P.M.
June 18, 2023
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
- Local Control Accountability Plan for 2024-25
- 2024-25 Budget
Adoption of the LCAP and Budget for 2024-25 is scheduled for June 25, 2024 at 5:30 at Wawona Elementary School at 5:30 P.M.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/school-schooling-learning-teachers-students-education-teaching-cx304690-low_orig.jpg)
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of May 14
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Approval of Budget and LCAP for 2024-25
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualna Falls Road
Wawona, CA
- CALL TO ORDER
- ROLL CALL
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
- CONSENT AGENDA
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of May 14
3.3 - Approve Warrants/Payroll
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
- PUBLIC HEARING OF THE 2024-25 LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN (LCAP)
- PUBLIC HEARING OF THE 2024-25 SCHOOL BUDGET
INFORMATION ITEMS
- REPORT ON LCAP METRICS FOR 2023-24
- STAFF REPORTS
- BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS UPDATE
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Approval of Budget and LCAP for 2024-25
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- ADJOURNMENT
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/flyingdawnmarie-yosemite-tioga-pass-01_orig.jpg)
Tioga Road Reopening
Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to the public on Monday, June 10 by 7 am. We are so excited to welcome visitors and staff back to the high country of Tuolumne Meadows.
Please make sure you are prepared and stocked up before setting off on your way to the high country. There is no food service or fuel available, and campgrounds aren’t open yet.
A reservation is required to drive into Yosemite on weekends and Juneteenth this month, every day from July 1 through August 16, then weekends and holidays through October 27—even if you are only passing through the park.
Bears, deer, marmots and birds have gotten accustomed to life without visitors, so please drive to posted speed limits and keep your eyes peeled for critters on the road. Mosquitoes, however, are eager for your return; bring long clothing if they bother you.
Be ready to encounter some snow and lots of water on trails, please stick to trails so as not to damage fragile ecosystems.
All of the things that make Tuolumne Meadows such a special destination also make it a challenging place to open each season. A huge thank you to all of our crews for their dedication to providing safe visitor access to Tioga Road for 2024.
Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to the public on Monday, June 10 by 7 am. We are so excited to welcome visitors and staff back to the high country of Tuolumne Meadows.
Please make sure you are prepared and stocked up before setting off on your way to the high country. There is no food service or fuel available, and campgrounds aren’t open yet.
A reservation is required to drive into Yosemite on weekends and Juneteenth this month, every day from July 1 through August 16, then weekends and holidays through October 27—even if you are only passing through the park.
Bears, deer, marmots and birds have gotten accustomed to life without visitors, so please drive to posted speed limits and keep your eyes peeled for critters on the road. Mosquitoes, however, are eager for your return; bring long clothing if they bother you.
Be ready to encounter some snow and lots of water on trails, please stick to trails so as not to damage fragile ecosystems.
All of the things that make Tuolumne Meadows such a special destination also make it a challenging place to open each season. A huge thank you to all of our crews for their dedication to providing safe visitor access to Tioga Road for 2024.
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/1/9/7119400/published/dfs.jpeg?1717787686)
Yosemite Declares Fire Season
Yosemite National Park has declared fire season starting June 7, 2024, due to hotter and drier weather conditions. Fire season is officially enacted when fire danger rating indices for the park are moderate for three consecutive days.
Residential pile burning within the park is not permitted during fire season in accordance with Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 2.13(c). Be sure to follow all fire rules and regulations when recreating and help prevent human caused wildfires by making sure your campfire is out cold when you leave by using the drown, stir, and feel method.
It is also important for local residents to complete defensible space around their properties at the beginning of fire season. Fire personnel will be conducting inspections within Yosemite to ensure compliance.
Remember to sign up for Yosemite alerts at: go.nps.gov/alert
Thank you for your continued support!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X (former Twitter) .@YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire
Yosemite National Park has declared fire season starting June 7, 2024, due to hotter and drier weather conditions. Fire season is officially enacted when fire danger rating indices for the park are moderate for three consecutive days.
Residential pile burning within the park is not permitted during fire season in accordance with Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 2.13(c). Be sure to follow all fire rules and regulations when recreating and help prevent human caused wildfires by making sure your campfire is out cold when you leave by using the drown, stir, and feel method.
It is also important for local residents to complete defensible space around their properties at the beginning of fire season. Fire personnel will be conducting inspections within Yosemite to ensure compliance.
Remember to sign up for Yosemite alerts at: go.nps.gov/alert
Thank you for your continued support!
Yosemite Fire Information
[email protected]
go.nps.gov/yosefire
Facebook @YosemiteFire
X (former Twitter) .@YosemiteFire
Instagram @YosemiteFire