WawonaNews.com - November 2019
Come Celebrate Patricia and Norman May's Lives
A day for us all to come together in memory of Norman and Patricia May, to celebrate their lives and lifetime together in Wawona. Join us for an afternoon of pictures, music, sharing memories and reflecting on their history with Camp Chilnualna. Sunday November 24th at 11:30 AM - 2 PM At the May residence For questions call (209) 375-6337
Newly Appointed YNP Superintendent to Start in Early 2020
Posted by: SNO Staff November 12, 2019
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Cicely Muldoon, Yosemite National Park’s newly appointed acting superintendent, will be arriving in the park “sometime in January 2020,” according to park spokesperson Scott Gediman.
“Details are still being worked out” regarding Muldoon’s schedule once she arrives at the park, Gediman said.
“Acting Superintendent Muldoon is not doing any interviews until she arrives in Yosemite,” he added.
The National Park Service announced in late October that long time YNP Superintendent Mike Reynolds was being reassigned to another park service position in Colorado.
Muldoon, superintendent of Point Reyes National Seashore since 2010, was selected to serve as acting superintendent at Yosemite until a permanent replacement is named.
Reynolds’ transfer came with little or no warning, according to the Los Angeles Times, who detailed the change in a story headlined: “Trump team reassigns Yosemite National Park superintendent; timing raises questions.”
“Reynolds’ departure comes amid controversial proposals for increasing recreation and tourism in the park, reportedly put forward by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt,” the paper reported.
Reynolds became YNP superintendent in 2016, replacing Don Neubacher.
In his new job, based in Denver, Reynolds will serve as regional director of the agency’s Lower Colorado Basin, Upper Colorado Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf regions, overseeing a total of 89 park units in nine Western states.
The Times speculated that Reynolds’ departure “is part of the Trump administration’s shift in a management strategy on public lands, raising the profile of industry and recreation and putting less emphasis on conservation.”
Reynolds, a 34-year park service veteran who actually grew up in Yosemite, was well respected by park staff and a strong and vocal advocate for conservation. He will begin his new duties in Colorado after the first of the year.
Posted by: SNO Staff November 12, 2019
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Cicely Muldoon, Yosemite National Park’s newly appointed acting superintendent, will be arriving in the park “sometime in January 2020,” according to park spokesperson Scott Gediman.
“Details are still being worked out” regarding Muldoon’s schedule once she arrives at the park, Gediman said.
“Acting Superintendent Muldoon is not doing any interviews until she arrives in Yosemite,” he added.
The National Park Service announced in late October that long time YNP Superintendent Mike Reynolds was being reassigned to another park service position in Colorado.
Muldoon, superintendent of Point Reyes National Seashore since 2010, was selected to serve as acting superintendent at Yosemite until a permanent replacement is named.
Reynolds’ transfer came with little or no warning, according to the Los Angeles Times, who detailed the change in a story headlined: “Trump team reassigns Yosemite National Park superintendent; timing raises questions.”
“Reynolds’ departure comes amid controversial proposals for increasing recreation and tourism in the park, reportedly put forward by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt,” the paper reported.
Reynolds became YNP superintendent in 2016, replacing Don Neubacher.
In his new job, based in Denver, Reynolds will serve as regional director of the agency’s Lower Colorado Basin, Upper Colorado Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf regions, overseeing a total of 89 park units in nine Western states.
The Times speculated that Reynolds’ departure “is part of the Trump administration’s shift in a management strategy on public lands, raising the profile of industry and recreation and putting less emphasis on conservation.”
Reynolds, a 34-year park service veteran who actually grew up in Yosemite, was well respected by park staff and a strong and vocal advocate for conservation. He will begin his new duties in Colorado after the first of the year.
YOSEMITE-WAWONA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualana Falls Road
Wawona, CA
MONTHLY ITEMS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
3.1- Approval of Agenda
3.2– Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of October 8, 2019
3.3 - Approve Warrants
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
WAPPOA
Glenn Reid
ACTION ITEMS
INFORMATION ITEMS
Report on the status of the bus
Board of Directors Regular Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019
5:30 P.M.
Wawona Elementary School
7925 Chilnualana 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 October 8, 2019
3.3 - Approve Warrants
3.4 – Accept Donations to YWECS
WAPPOA
Glenn Reid
- HEARING OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
ACTION ITEMS
- APPROVE A CONSULTANT AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
- APPROVE THE UNAUDITED ACTUALS REPORT FOR THE 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR.
- APPROVE A NURSING AGREEMENT WITH THE BASS LAKE JOINT UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
- APPROVE THE LOCAL INDICATOR SUMMARIES TO BE POSTED ON THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DASHBOARD.
- APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF NEW CARPET IN DESIGNATED AREAS OF THE SCHOOL.
INFORMATION ITEMS
- SET A DATE FOR A BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP.
- STAFF REPORTS
- BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
- FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Report on the status of the bus
- NEXT BOARD MEETING
- CLOSED SESSION: Personnel/Negotiations/Litigation
- Personnel (Gov. Code 54957)
- RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION: Announce Closed Session Actions
- ADJOURNMENT
Mariposa Grove Update
Water has been turned off for the season throughout the Upper Grove, including water bottle filling stations and flush toilets at the Grove Arrival Center. Portable and pit toilets are available. Water filling stations and flush toilets are still available at the Welcome Center parking lot. Shuttle bus service begins at 8am, last bus to the Grove is 5pm, last bus returning from the Grove is 6pm. Shuttle service is anticipated to continue through November 30.
The Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at The Depot is anticipated to remain open through December 15. (C. Botell)
Water has been turned off for the season throughout the Upper Grove, including water bottle filling stations and flush toilets at the Grove Arrival Center. Portable and pit toilets are available. Water filling stations and flush toilets are still available at the Welcome Center parking lot. Shuttle bus service begins at 8am, last bus to the Grove is 5pm, last bus returning from the Grove is 6pm. Shuttle service is anticipated to continue through November 30.
The Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at The Depot is anticipated to remain open through December 15. (C. Botell)
Selfies and traffic jams seem to go together along Park Boulevard on a busy afternoon in Joshua Tree National Park in April 2019.(Mark Boster / For The Times)
Trump team has a plan for national parks: Amazon, food trucks and no senior discounts
By LOUIS SAHAGUN LA Times STAFF WRITER
NOV. 4, 2019
At the urging of a controversial team of advisors, the Trump administration is mulling proposals to privatize national park campgrounds and further commercialize the parks with expanded Wi-Fi service, food trucks and even Amazon deliveries at tourist camp sites.
Leaders of the Interior Department’s “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee say these changes could make America’s national parks more attractive to a digitally minded younger generation and improve the quality of National Park Service facilities amid a huge maintenance backlog. As part of its plan, the committee calls for blacking out senior discounts at park campgrounds during peak holiday seasons.
“Our recommendations would allow people to opt for additional costs if they want, for example, Amazon deliveries at a particular campsite,” said Derrick Crandall, vice chairman of the committee and a counselor with the nonprofit National Park Hospitality Assn. “We want to let Americans make their own decisions in the marketplace.”
But the group’s proposals face angry opposition from conservation organizations and senior citizen advocates, who call them a transfer of public assets to private industry, including businesses led by executives appointed to the Outdoor Advisory Committee.
“America’s outdoor heritage is on the line,” said Jayson O’Neill, deputy director of the Western Values Project, a nonprofit public lands watchdog group in Montana. “The trouble with these recommendations is that they were written by concessionaire industry representatives vying for more control of national parks.”
The proposal to restrict the use of senior discounts drew a sharp response from Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP.
“This proposal is an insulting attempt to push older Americans out of our national parks,” he said. “The cost of a senior pass already jumped in recent years from $10 to $80, and this proposal would further hurt older Americans who want to visit national parks. Enough is enough.”
Crandall and the advisory committee were somewhat surprised by the backlash, especially from groups representing retirees and the elderly.
“If we’d known there’d be a big pushback to proposed blackouts on senior discounts, we might have dropped that off the list,” Crandall said. “All we’re saying is that it may not make sense on peak days like July 4 weekend to let seniors compete with a family with kids for a campsite.”
By LOUIS SAHAGUN LA Times STAFF WRITER
NOV. 4, 2019
At the urging of a controversial team of advisors, the Trump administration is mulling proposals to privatize national park campgrounds and further commercialize the parks with expanded Wi-Fi service, food trucks and even Amazon deliveries at tourist camp sites.
Leaders of the Interior Department’s “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee say these changes could make America’s national parks more attractive to a digitally minded younger generation and improve the quality of National Park Service facilities amid a huge maintenance backlog. As part of its plan, the committee calls for blacking out senior discounts at park campgrounds during peak holiday seasons.
“Our recommendations would allow people to opt for additional costs if they want, for example, Amazon deliveries at a particular campsite,” said Derrick Crandall, vice chairman of the committee and a counselor with the nonprofit National Park Hospitality Assn. “We want to let Americans make their own decisions in the marketplace.”
But the group’s proposals face angry opposition from conservation organizations and senior citizen advocates, who call them a transfer of public assets to private industry, including businesses led by executives appointed to the Outdoor Advisory Committee.
“America’s outdoor heritage is on the line,” said Jayson O’Neill, deputy director of the Western Values Project, a nonprofit public lands watchdog group in Montana. “The trouble with these recommendations is that they were written by concessionaire industry representatives vying for more control of national parks.”
The proposal to restrict the use of senior discounts drew a sharp response from Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP.
“This proposal is an insulting attempt to push older Americans out of our national parks,” he said. “The cost of a senior pass already jumped in recent years from $10 to $80, and this proposal would further hurt older Americans who want to visit national parks. Enough is enough.”
Crandall and the advisory committee were somewhat surprised by the backlash, especially from groups representing retirees and the elderly.
“If we’d known there’d be a big pushback to proposed blackouts on senior discounts, we might have dropped that off the list,” Crandall said. “All we’re saying is that it may not make sense on peak days like July 4 weekend to let seniors compete with a family with kids for a campsite.”
rowds of visitors cram the wooden walkways around the Midway Geyser Basin leading to the Grand Prismatic Spring and the Excelsior Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.
(Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times)
Since taking office, President Trump and his administration have sought to privatize an array of public services, including parts of the Veterans Administration and the U.S. Postal Service. At the same time, the White House has sought to reduce spending for many public services, such as its plan to cut the National Park Service’s budget by $481 million in 2020.
Critics say the administration is engaged in a self-fulfilling prophesy, arguing that private industry can deliver better than the public sector even as the White House starves public agencies of resources. But what really angers opponents is how corporate donors and businesses with a vested interest in park privatization have been invited by the Trump administration to offer proposals for further concession opportunities.
According to a memo first published by the Washington Post, business services officials of the National Park Service in 2017 warned that four people nominated to serve on the panel had potential conflicts of interest.
Three of them were selected as members: Crandall, whose association includes some of the largest concessions management companies in the U.S.; Jeremy Jacobs Jr., co-chief executive of Delaware North Cos., Yosemite National Park’s former facilities operator, whose family has donated at least $167,700 to Trump’s campaigns and political committees; and Bruce Fears, president of Aramark, which holds a $2-billion contract to run hotels, eateries and campgrounds at Yosemite.
In 2017, Delaware North hired Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the Denver-based law and lobbying firm where Interior Secretary David Bernhardt previously worked.
A large bison blocks traffic as crowds of tourists take photos in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. The park’s superintendent says he’s being forced out for what appear to be punitive reasons following disagreements with the Trump administration over how many bison the park can sustain.
(Matthew Brown/AP)
A few years ago, Delaware North became infamous for changing the name of a historic landmark in Yosemite, the Ahwahnee Hotel, to the Majestic Yosemite. The company made the change after losing out to Aramark in a bid to renew its concessions contract in Yosemite. Delaware North claimed it had intellectual property rights over the Ahwahnee name that could not be transferred to Aramark. Finally this year, the hotel’s name was restored after the U.S. government and Aramark paid the company $12 million to settle the legal battle.
Other committee members include Jim Rogers, former president of Kampgrounds of America, the largest privately owned campground system in the world, and Brad Franklin, government relations manager at Yamaha Motor Corp. USA, a producer of electric-powered bicycles.
Earlier this year, Bernhardt signed an order that allows electric bicycles to be used for the first time on federal trails in national wildlife refuges and national parks, a move he said will create “opportunities to explore areas of the great outdoors that were previously unreachable.”
Electric bikes are hardly the only new concession the administration is considering. Others include digital services, utilities, flushable toilets, hot and cold showers, equipment rentals, mobile camp stores, food trucks, kayaks and overnight tent rentals.
The committee’s proposals would make their concession contracts more profitable than ever. They call for “categorical permissions” to sidestep environmental impact reviews for campground expansion and development, and new policies to ensure that concessionaires be compensated for investments and assets when a competitor is awarded its contract.
“The corporate interests on this committee stand to financially benefit from the privatization and corporate giveaways they are empowered to make,” said Nicole Gentile, deputy director of public lands at the Center for American Progress, a liberal Washington think tank. “And they are strategically inflating the Park Service’s maintenance backlog to use it as a talking point to scare the public into accepting privatization as necessary in our national parks.”
Bernhardt says nearly $12 billion is needed to meet the National Park Service’s maintenance needs. But Gentile, in a 2017 analysis, determined that only $1.3 billion of the backlog is considered priority maintenance by the service, and about $389 million is earmarked for concession facilities within national parks.
“Bernhardt’s claim is disingenuous,” Gentile said. “The concessionaires, and not taxpayers, should be paying for upkeeping their for-profit gift stores, hotels and campgrounds.”
Jeremy Barnum, a spokesman for the National Park Service, denied that Bernhardt was inflating the estimated costs of the agency’s backlog.
“Aging facilities, increased visitation and resource constraints have kept the maintenance backlog between $11 billion and $12 billion since 2010,” he said. “The agency is constantly reviewing its investment needs and how we track and characterize them to ensure they are done wisely.”
Concessionaires, he added, “are evaluated and held accountable for addressing any maintenance performance shortfalls.”
Tourists gather in a congested area of Southside Drive to view and take photos of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California. On busy days, more than 8,000 cars pass through Yosemite Valley.
(Mark Crosse/AP)
Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who resigned two years later amid investigations into his real estate dealings in his home state of Montana, organized the advisory committee in 2017. Up until then, federal land agencies and outdoors enthusiasts had reached something of an accord on privatization issues.
Both the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service continue to require that campgrounds run by concessionaires provide 50% discounts to seniors with appropriate passes.
But that delicate peace among competing interests could be upended.
“Now, it’s only the National Park Service that wants to stop giving senior discounts,” said Kitty Benzar, spokeswoman for the nonprofit Western Slope No-Fee Coalition. “Why? So their powerful concessionaires can maximize profits.”
Benzar acknowledged there “may be a market for the bells and whistles” the committee has proposed. “But there are a whole lot of other folks who will feel displaced and priced out.”
Each year, roughly 1 million Americans purchase senior passes, which allow people 62 and older to get free access to national parks and other federal recreation sites, and various discounts inside those public lands. In 2017, the Trump administration increased the cost of a lifetime senior pass from $10 to $80, and now it is mulling limitations to their uses.
“Do those families love Grandma and Grandpa and their discount passes? You bet!” Benzar said. “Senior discounts are the third rail of camping in national parks — don’t touch them!”
On Oct. 13, the National Park Service announced it was reassigning Yosemite National Park Supt. Mike Reynolds to a new position as a western regional director. Some parks advocates questioned if Reynolds was being reassigned because he raised concerns about a proposal to allow boats on the park’s Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a claim the park service rejected.
Under the Trump administration, there’s a new emphasis on creating more tourist amenities and opportunities in some of the most valuable and vulnerable public land in the country, much of it in the West. This includes national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon, among others.
Each year, about 318 million people surge into the park service’s 419 areas, which cover roughly 85 million acres, or about 3.4% of U.S. land.
They bring with them valuable tourist dollars that help neighboring towns, but their numbers also bring urban-style traffic jams, vandalism and increasing environmental damage to the surrounding wildlands.
At Yosemite on especially busy weekends, visitors may find themselves diverted to alternative routes away from Yosemite Valley, or back out of the park, after paying an entrance fee of $30. Leaders of Trump’s advisory committee say outside investment can help national parks manage the crowds and accommodate everyone who wants to visit.
“Our solution to the problems facing the park service is to look at enlisting private capital to wipe out the massive deferred maintenance backlog — and introduce the kinds of services that today’s campers seek,” Crandall said. “Certainly, what we’ve been doing for the past 30 years is not working well.”
But Jeffrey Jenkins, a professor of public lands at UC Merced, suggests “the free-market impetus behind the push toward tourism-based economies within national parks is a slippery slope.”
“The moment you try to accommodate existing crowds,” he said, “you facilitate more demand and use in federal land originally intended to serve as a baseline of the American frontier experience.
“Some would say the future is already here,” he added. “Twice as many people are employed by concessionaires at Yosemite than by the National Park Service.”
A HUGE THANK YOU FROM WAWONA SCHOOL!
Our Bake Sale / Open House/ Fundraiser was a huge success, thanks to all of you! We were able to order some Montessori materials, replace the table umbrellas and carpet replacement is in progress. We appreciate all of the love and support!
Our Bake Sale / Open House/ Fundraiser was a huge success, thanks to all of you! We were able to order some Montessori materials, replace the table umbrellas and carpet replacement is in progress. We appreciate all of the love and support!
Alert: PSPS- PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF
PG&E has confirmed it will begin to de-energize parts of Mariposa County tonight October 27th at 12am (midnight).
The locations for the outage include:
Yosemite National Park
Fish Camp
El Portal
Wawona
Raymond
Ahwahnee
Worman Rd / Kimball Rd area
Foresta
Yosemite West
To check if your address is in the affected area please use the following link https://psps.ss.pge.com/
Please be aware that the address checker may not be updated with the latest information, please continue to check back.
To support customers in the affected areas, PG&E will be opening a Community Resource Center, the location has not been determined yet.
The Mariposa County sheriffs office will increase patrols in the affected areas.
PG&E has confirmed it will begin to de-energize parts of Mariposa County tonight October 27th at 12am (midnight).
The locations for the outage include:
Yosemite National Park
Fish Camp
El Portal
Wawona
Raymond
Ahwahnee
Worman Rd / Kimball Rd area
Foresta
Yosemite West
To check if your address is in the affected area please use the following link https://psps.ss.pge.com/
Please be aware that the address checker may not be updated with the latest information, please continue to check back.
To support customers in the affected areas, PG&E will be opening a Community Resource Center, the location has not been determined yet.
The Mariposa County sheriffs office will increase patrols in the affected areas.
Bear spotted along Wawona Road, near Alder Creek trail, October 23
Information on WAPPOA
The following information on WAPPOA is now posted in our "Calendars and Schedules" section, which can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top of this page.
WAWONA AREA PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS ADVOCATES dba “WAPPOA”
WAPPOA is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization created:
- To function as advocates for the preservation and protection of Wawona as a private inholding, in dealing with any entity that may affect private property rights.
- To provide a forum for the dissemination of pertinent information and discussion of problems common to Wawona private inholders.
- To record, preserve and disseminate the history of Wawona.
WAPPOA has 3 General Meetings each year – mid April, early June and mid October – which are held in the Community Center. All property owners and their guests are welcome to attend. We usually have speakers from the NPS, Mariposa County, NPS Fire, the Wawona School, UC Merced Field Station, the Redwoods and the Wawona Hotel.
WAPPOA has approximately 220 “active” property owners, who pay dues of $40 per year. The dues help support community projects such as the Yosemite Wawona School, the Barn Dances, our Wawona Firefighters (donations to Wildland Firefighters Foundation and any other support they may need), and community events, i.e., our annual picnic in October and our “Roots of Wawona” history sessions.
Examples of What WAPPOA Does:
- Worked on the Merced Wild and Scenic River Management Plan (MRP) from the mid 2000s to 2010 to stop high density housing, to retain the Golf Course, and to get permanent restrooms in the Plan, for Swinging Bridge and Flat Rock.
- Working with the NPS to prioritize and complete an upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant.
- Helped get a water storage option included in the Yosemite-Mariposa Regional Water Management Plan. This water storage will be used for potable water for Wawona , if necessary, in extreme drought conditions.
- Provide strong financial and other support for the Wawona School.
- Works closely with our firefighters and NPS to disseminate information on fire safety and problems with clearing all the fallen tress and debris.
- Works with Mariposa Co. to keep our roads in good condition, and to have proper trash and recycling.
For more information, look on the Wawona News Website or email the WAPPOA Treasurer at: WAPPOAT1@gmail.com
Consider It Done: Briceburg Fire 85% Contained
Posted by: SNO Staff October 15, 2019 - 7:50 am
MARIPOSA COUNTY — A little more than a week after it started as a 30-acre vegetation fire near the Briceburg Bridge, CAL FIRE reported Tuesday morning that the Briceburg Fire is now 85 percent contained.
The fire has burned a total of 5,563 acres but “fire suppression repair” already started to take place Sunday, according to agency officials.
Twelve crews and about 500 firefighters continue to be assigned to the mop-up effort, down from about 1,500 personnel battling the blaze at the peak of the fire last week.
CAL FIRE reported that just one structure has been destroyed in the blaze.
On Sunday evening, as mop-up operations continued, Highway 140 reopened, allowing access from Mariposa to Yosemite National Park.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Posted by: SNO Staff October 15, 2019 - 7:50 am
MARIPOSA COUNTY — A little more than a week after it started as a 30-acre vegetation fire near the Briceburg Bridge, CAL FIRE reported Tuesday morning that the Briceburg Fire is now 85 percent contained.
The fire has burned a total of 5,563 acres but “fire suppression repair” already started to take place Sunday, according to agency officials.
Twelve crews and about 500 firefighters continue to be assigned to the mop-up effort, down from about 1,500 personnel battling the blaze at the peak of the fire last week.
CAL FIRE reported that just one structure has been destroyed in the blaze.
On Sunday evening, as mop-up operations continued, Highway 140 reopened, allowing access from Mariposa to Yosemite National Park.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Briceburg Fire 70% Contained, Hwy 140 Open
By Nathalie Granda, Jason Oliveira, Sara Sandrik, Vanessa Vasconcelos and Cory James
Oct. 13, 6:00 PM
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fire crews held their ground over the Briceburg Fire overnight and gained more containment over the flames.
Sunday, CAL FIRE reported the fire is now at 5,563 acres and 70 percent contained. At this time, more than 800 firefighters are working to control the blaze.
Officials say Highway 140 opened at 6 p.m. Since crews are still working in the area, authorities are reminding drivers to be cautious and aware of possible debris in the roadway.
Oct. 13, 6:00 PM
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fire crews held their ground over the Briceburg Fire overnight and gained more containment over the flames.
Sunday, CAL FIRE reported the fire is now at 5,563 acres and 70 percent contained. At this time, more than 800 firefighters are working to control the blaze.
Officials say Highway 140 opened at 6 p.m. Since crews are still working in the area, authorities are reminding drivers to be cautious and aware of possible debris in the roadway.
October 13: Briceburg Fire Containment Now at 63%
Posted by: george lurie October 13, 2019 - 8:52 am
MARIPOSA COUNTY — Nearly a week after it started as a 30-acre vegetation fire near the Briceburg Bridge, CAL FIRE reported Sunday morning that the Briceburg Fire is now 60 percent contained — and has consumed a total of 5,563 acres.
Minimal fire activity was reported throughout the [Saturday],” CAL FIRE said in a release issued early Sunday morning. “Firefighters will continue to secure and enforce containment lines and mop-up 200 feet in to secure containment lines.”
CAL FIRE said the increase in the official total acreage burned statistic “is due to accurate mapping.”
“Fire suppression repair” was also starting to take place Sunday according to agency officials.
Nearly 1,200 personnel continue to be assigned to the fire, down from about 1,500 firefighters that were battling the blaze at the peak of the fire last week.
CAL FIRE reported that just one structure has been destroyed in the blaze, whose cause remains under investigation.
Highway 140 remains closed from Colorado Road to Savages Trading Post.
Briceburg Fire 49% Contained
Mariposa County, CA Oct 12, 2019 02:13 pm – While the Briceburg Fire continues to burn in Mariposa County, overnight it grew in acreage and containment.
The total acreage is 5,190 and the containment has climbed to 49 percent. CAL Fire notes that the increased acreage is not due to the flames spreading, but better mapping. Fire officials share fire activity was minimal overnight. Today, Firefighters will continue to construct containment lines while mopping up at least 200 feet of already established lines.
One structure was destroyed earlier this week and on Friday afternoon all evacuations were lifted. Buffalo Gulch Road has re-opened to residents only while Highway 140 remains closed from the top of Briceburg Grade to Savages Trading Post.
Resources remaining on the scene include 139 engines, 31 water tenders, 35 hand crews, 16 dozers, and 8 helicopters. The number of personnel is 1,418. The fire ignited along the highway that heads into Yosemite National Park on Sunday, October 6 just after 2:30 p.m.
Written by Tracey Petersen.
Mariposa County, CA Oct 12, 2019 02:13 pm – While the Briceburg Fire continues to burn in Mariposa County, overnight it grew in acreage and containment.
The total acreage is 5,190 and the containment has climbed to 49 percent. CAL Fire notes that the increased acreage is not due to the flames spreading, but better mapping. Fire officials share fire activity was minimal overnight. Today, Firefighters will continue to construct containment lines while mopping up at least 200 feet of already established lines.
One structure was destroyed earlier this week and on Friday afternoon all evacuations were lifted. Buffalo Gulch Road has re-opened to residents only while Highway 140 remains closed from the top of Briceburg Grade to Savages Trading Post.
Resources remaining on the scene include 139 engines, 31 water tenders, 35 hand crews, 16 dozers, and 8 helicopters. The number of personnel is 1,418. The fire ignited along the highway that heads into Yosemite National Park on Sunday, October 6 just after 2:30 p.m.
Written by Tracey Petersen.
Briceburg Fire: Evening, Oct. 11 - 5,100 acres, 40 percent contained, mandatory evacuations lifted
By Nathalie Granda, Jason Oliveira, Sara Sandrik, Vanessa Vasconcelos and Cory James
Oct. 11, 7 PM, FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fire crews continue battling the Briceburg Fire, which grew a couple hundred acres Friday.
According to CAL FIRE, the fire is now at 5,100 acres and 40 percent contained with more than 1,400 firefighters working to control the blaze.
Oct. 11, 7 PM, FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fire crews continue battling the Briceburg Fire, which grew a couple hundred acres Friday.
According to CAL FIRE, the fire is now at 5,100 acres and 40 percent contained with more than 1,400 firefighters working to control the blaze.
Mandatory Evacuations Lifted on Briceburg Fire
With firefighters gaining control of the Briceburg Fire, Cal Fire and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office lifted mandatory evacuation orders and fire advisements at 1 p.m. Friday.
However, Highway 140 is closed from 15 miles east of Mariposa at the top of Briceburg Grade to Savages Trading Post. Officials advise travelers to take highways 120 and 41 into Yosemite National Park.
In addition, Buffalo Gulch Road is now open to residents only.
For information on Yosemite National Park, go to nps.gov/yose or call 209 372-0200.
General Information
The area will remain smoky as firefighters continue suppression efforts, officials said, and some residences will be without power until it’s restored by PG&E. Officials advise residents to stay clear of electrical wires on the ground and contract PG&E immediately if you see them.
The Mariposa County Public Works Department will be at Midpines Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. providing free disposal of spoiled food waste.
Crews Limit Fire’s Spread
Firefighters working throughout the night limited the spread of the wildfire, Cal Fire officials said Friday morning.The wildfire now covers 4,905 acres and is 30% contained, officials said.
In addition to the diligent work of the fire crews, “recent weather patterns have helped fire suppression efforts,” Cal Fire said in its incident report.
Today’s focus, authorities said, will be to begin mop-up operations inside the fire containment area.
The cause of the fire, which began Sunday afternoon, still isn’t known. One structure has been destroyed. There are no reports of injuries.
With firefighters gaining control of the Briceburg Fire, Cal Fire and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office lifted mandatory evacuation orders and fire advisements at 1 p.m. Friday.
However, Highway 140 is closed from 15 miles east of Mariposa at the top of Briceburg Grade to Savages Trading Post. Officials advise travelers to take highways 120 and 41 into Yosemite National Park.
In addition, Buffalo Gulch Road is now open to residents only.
For information on Yosemite National Park, go to nps.gov/yose or call 209 372-0200.
General Information
The area will remain smoky as firefighters continue suppression efforts, officials said, and some residences will be without power until it’s restored by PG&E. Officials advise residents to stay clear of electrical wires on the ground and contract PG&E immediately if you see them.
The Mariposa County Public Works Department will be at Midpines Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. providing free disposal of spoiled food waste.
Crews Limit Fire’s Spread
Firefighters working throughout the night limited the spread of the wildfire, Cal Fire officials said Friday morning.The wildfire now covers 4,905 acres and is 30% contained, officials said.
In addition to the diligent work of the fire crews, “recent weather patterns have helped fire suppression efforts,” Cal Fire said in its incident report.
Today’s focus, authorities said, will be to begin mop-up operations inside the fire containment area.
The cause of the fire, which began Sunday afternoon, still isn’t known. One structure has been destroyed. There are no reports of injuries.
Briceburg Fire 30% Contained, October 11
By Nathalie Granda, Jason Oliveira, Sara Sandrik, Vanessa Vasconcelos and Cory James
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fire crews battling the Briceburg Fire were able to hold their ground overnight, only allowing the fire to grow by five acres.
According to CAL FIRE, the fire is now at 4,905 acres and 30 percent contained with more than 1,700 firefighters working to control the blaze.
Wildfire concerns left approximately 800,000 Californians in the dark on Wednesday, including customers in Mariposa County.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fire crews battling the Briceburg Fire were able to hold their ground overnight, only allowing the fire to grow by five acres.
According to CAL FIRE, the fire is now at 4,905 acres and 30 percent contained with more than 1,700 firefighters working to control the blaze.
Wildfire concerns left approximately 800,000 Californians in the dark on Wednesday, including customers in Mariposa County.
Stanley Valim Wawona Retirement Dinner
6 p.m. Sunday, October 13, 2019
Wawona Hotel Dining Room
8 p.m. Afterglow in Piano Parlor
No Host Dinner (everybody pays their own way)
(We have a block dinner reservation for 20 – please RSVP so we can adjust the reservation accordingly)
RSVP Diane/Tom Bopp 209 375 1551 or wawonamoon@sti.net
Please NO presents – Donate cash gifts directly to Stanley, or to Pat Sischo who’ll collect funds for shipping Stanley’s stuff to Oregon
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU, STANLEY!
(NOTE: Stanley heads to Oregon in April, but this is our best chance to all get together for his sendoff).
6 p.m. Sunday, October 13, 2019
Wawona Hotel Dining Room
8 p.m. Afterglow in Piano Parlor
No Host Dinner (everybody pays their own way)
(We have a block dinner reservation for 20 – please RSVP so we can adjust the reservation accordingly)
RSVP Diane/Tom Bopp 209 375 1551 or wawonamoon@sti.net
Please NO presents – Donate cash gifts directly to Stanley, or to Pat Sischo who’ll collect funds for shipping Stanley’s stuff to Oregon
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU, STANLEY!
(NOTE: Stanley heads to Oregon in April, but this is our best chance to all get together for his sendoff).
Briceburg Fire 25% Contained, Good Progress
Posted by: george lurie October 10, 2019 - 7:19 am
MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters appear to be slowly gaining the upper hand on the the Briceburg Fire.
CAL FIRE reported Thursday morning that while the fire has burned 4,900 acres, the blaze is now 25 percent contained.
“Overnight, firefighters made good progress towards containment,” CAL FIRE said in its latest update, released Thursday morning at 7 a.m.
“Efforts today will remain focused on fireline construction and strengthening contingency lines,” the release stated. “Evacuation orders and advisories remain unchanged from previous updates. Yosemite National Park remains open.”
Meanwhile, nearly 1,400 firefighters are now battling the blaze, which began Sunday afternoon as a 30-acre vegetation fire that sparked near the Briceburg Bridge.
CAL FIRE reported Thursday that so far, none of the personnel battling the blaze have been injured and only one structure has been destroyed by the fire.
Highway 140 remains closed from Colorado Road to Savages Trading Post.
Among the agencies cooperating in the effort to bring the blaze under control: Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office; California Highway Patrol; CALTRANS; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; and American Red Cross.
Meanwhile, some 1,800 PG&E customers in Mariposa County remain without power after the utility shut off power Wednesday to avoid its equipment sparking additional fires as high winds were predicted to blow through the state.
Areas affected by the power shut off include Greeley Hill, the Lake Don Pedro subdivision and Granite Hills.
PG&E officials have not said when they expect to switch power back on for their impacted customers in Mariposa County.
MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters appear to be slowly gaining the upper hand on the the Briceburg Fire.
CAL FIRE reported Thursday morning that while the fire has burned 4,900 acres, the blaze is now 25 percent contained.
“Overnight, firefighters made good progress towards containment,” CAL FIRE said in its latest update, released Thursday morning at 7 a.m.
“Efforts today will remain focused on fireline construction and strengthening contingency lines,” the release stated. “Evacuation orders and advisories remain unchanged from previous updates. Yosemite National Park remains open.”
Meanwhile, nearly 1,400 firefighters are now battling the blaze, which began Sunday afternoon as a 30-acre vegetation fire that sparked near the Briceburg Bridge.
CAL FIRE reported Thursday that so far, none of the personnel battling the blaze have been injured and only one structure has been destroyed by the fire.
Highway 140 remains closed from Colorado Road to Savages Trading Post.
Among the agencies cooperating in the effort to bring the blaze under control: Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office; California Highway Patrol; CALTRANS; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; and American Red Cross.
Meanwhile, some 1,800 PG&E customers in Mariposa County remain without power after the utility shut off power Wednesday to avoid its equipment sparking additional fires as high winds were predicted to blow through the state.
Areas affected by the power shut off include Greeley Hill, the Lake Don Pedro subdivision and Granite Hills.
PG&E officials have not said when they expect to switch power back on for their impacted customers in Mariposa County.
Briceburg Fire Maps, October 10
Evening Update: Briceburg Firefight Lasts Into the Night
Posted by: SNO Staff October 9, 2019 - 5:02 pm
MARIPOSA COUNTY– A 30-acre brush fire that started along Highway 140 Sunday afternoon has now charred more than 4,400 acres and is only ten percent contained, according to the latest report from CAL FIRE, issued Wednesday afternoon.
From all fronts, nearly 1000 fire personnel continue the firefight — day and night.
Steven Ward, a CAL FIRE spokesman, explained how backfire operations continued on the Briceburg Fire Tuesday night in anticipation of today’s forecasted wind event.
Ward said backfires were used in Division Oscar on the Sweetwater Ridge to Highway 140 on the east fire front as well as Feliciona Mountain Road to the Buffalo Glutch drainage on the west front.
Dozers and hand lines are being used to create a box around the fire but inversion layers over the drainage and erratic wind behavior are making fire suppression difficult.
Firefighters say some “blowout” conditions exist when wind is introduced to the inversion layer, causing the fire to make runs to the ridge tops.
Hose lay operations have been hindered due to the steep terrain with the engines only being able to pump 300 to 350 feet up the steep slopes.
In an extreme effort, some firefighters are hiking to the fire with 5-gallon water pack pumps on their backs to extinguish potential hot spots.
With vegetation stripped from the fast moving fire, additional hazards for firefighters exists as rocks cascade onto Highway 140 — which will have a major impact when winter rains create mudslides and road blockage in the coming months.
Posted by: SNO Staff October 9, 2019 - 5:02 pm
MARIPOSA COUNTY– A 30-acre brush fire that started along Highway 140 Sunday afternoon has now charred more than 4,400 acres and is only ten percent contained, according to the latest report from CAL FIRE, issued Wednesday afternoon.
From all fronts, nearly 1000 fire personnel continue the firefight — day and night.
Steven Ward, a CAL FIRE spokesman, explained how backfire operations continued on the Briceburg Fire Tuesday night in anticipation of today’s forecasted wind event.
Ward said backfires were used in Division Oscar on the Sweetwater Ridge to Highway 140 on the east fire front as well as Feliciona Mountain Road to the Buffalo Glutch drainage on the west front.
Dozers and hand lines are being used to create a box around the fire but inversion layers over the drainage and erratic wind behavior are making fire suppression difficult.
Firefighters say some “blowout” conditions exist when wind is introduced to the inversion layer, causing the fire to make runs to the ridge tops.
Hose lay operations have been hindered due to the steep terrain with the engines only being able to pump 300 to 350 feet up the steep slopes.
In an extreme effort, some firefighters are hiking to the fire with 5-gallon water pack pumps on their backs to extinguish potential hot spots.
With vegetation stripped from the fast moving fire, additional hazards for firefighters exists as rocks cascade onto Highway 140 — which will have a major impact when winter rains create mudslides and road blockage in the coming months.
