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An out-of-control campfire is being blamed for a fire in Yosemite National Park that has now burned nearly 500 acres and is being fought with six air tankers and five helicopters, the National Park Service said Thursday.
The Boundary fire, discovered Monday, is a half-mile northwest of El Capitan and is spreading north by northeast, the service said. Visitors and residents are warned to expect smoke from the blaze, which is 45% contained, throughout the park.
A total of 385 people are involved in fighting the fire, including 13 hand crews. There has been one minor injury. The fire is burning in red fir and Lodgepole pine, the park service said. The park service, the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and the Bureau of Land Management are involved in fighting the blaze.
Several other fires are also burning in or near the park:
The Middle T fire, discovered July 21 three miles east of Aspen Valley on the north side of the Middle Fork of the Tuolumne River, totaled 425 acres by Thursday. The park service said the Middle T fire was being managed as "a wildland fire use fire," but afternoon winds had pushed the blaze over confinement lines and fire managers have decided to suppress it because of smoke concerns.
The Frog Complex fires, discovered July 21 in the Hetch Hetchy area, were lightning-ignited fires and are being managed "for ecological benefit," the park service said. The fires consist of the Frog fire and the Laurel fire, which have burned together and now cover 3,500 acres. The park service characterized the blaze as a "low-intensity ground fire [which] continues to provide maximum benefit for the resources."
Because of the fires, the following trails and trailheads are closed, the park service said:
The Old Big Oak Flat Road Trail from Tamarack Flat Campground east to Yosemite Creek Trail.
The Old Big Oak Flat Road trailhead at Foresta.
The Yosemite Creek Trail south of the Yosemite Creek Campground.
The Lukens Lake Trail south of Tioga Road.
The Laurel Lake basin, including the Miguel Meadow to Laurel Lake Trail.
The Beehive Meadow Trail above the Hetch Hetchy switchbacks to Lake Vernon.
The Moraine Ridge Trail to Paradise Junction.
The historic Great Sierra Wagon Road between White Wolf and Aspen Valley.
The Harden Lake Trail.
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