Fire crews making slow progress towards stopping Ferguson Fire

ByRicky Courtney KFSN logo

Friday, August 3, 2018

Fire crews making slow progress towards stopping Ferguson Fire

The fire has grown to 63,798 acres, growing by 915 acres during the day Wednesday and containment stands at 39 percent.

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. -- Fire officials say they are making progress towards stopping the Ferguson Fire burning in the area of Yosemite National Park.

The fire has grown to 68,610 acres burned and containment stands at 39 percent.

On Wednesday we learned that two more firefighters have been injured, but details on the extent of the injuries were not immediately available.

A total of 11 firefighters have been injured battling the Ferguson Fire, and two firefighters have died with the most recent loss just this past Sunday. Brian Hughes, 33, was killed when a tree fell on him.

Fire crews continue to prepare to set backfires inside Yosemite National Park, which are expected to both remove potential fuel for the wildfire and expand containment.

On the southern flank of the fire, crews will burn along Wawona Road (Highway 41) south towards the Wawona Campground. To the north, crews will burn to the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Fire officials issued an evacuation order for the Wawona community Wednesday as a precaution because of current and predicted fire behavior.

Highway 120 was closed on Thursday afternoon between Yosemite's Big Oak Flat entrance and Crane Flat. That means the only road access to the park is the Tioga Road entrance in the Eastern Sierra near Highway 120 and US 395.

While the backfires help firefighters contain the larger wildfire, they are generating more smoke, which has a negative impact on Central California's already poor air quality.

The poor air quality also led the National Park Service to announce Tuesday that parts of Yosemite National Park will remain closed until at least Sunday, August 5.

Meterologists say that in the coming days, the high pressure system above the fire will weaken. That will decrease temperatures in the Central Valley, but is also expected to increase fire behavior.

On Wednesday night, evacuation orders were lifted for the El Portal Trailer Court, but remain in effect for Anderson Valley, Foresta, Old El Portal, Old Yosemite Road, River Road, and Yosemite View Lodge.

Get the latest on wildfires burning across California here.

FIRE INFO

Road Closures:

Highway 41/Wawona Road is closed from the Yosemite Valley, through Wawona, to the park's south gate
Highway 120 is closed between Yosemite's Big Oak Flat entrance and Crane Flat
Highway 140/Incline Road is closed from Yosemite National Park to Midpines (residents allowed)
Anderson Valley Road
Foresta Road
River Road from Briceburg to the gate at Railroad Flat and all campground areas along Highway 140
Summit Road
Old Yosemite Road

Mandatory Evacuations:

These areas are currently under a mandatory evacuation: