Most of Yosemite Is Still Open to the Public

Yosemite National Park said Monday afternoon that most of the park is open to the public, though arriving visitors need to have a reservation.

The Washburn Fire began inside the park earlier this month. The Oak Fire began burning outside of Yosemite late last week.

Oak Fire

The Oak Fire is burning west of Yosemite in Mariposa County. Since the fire ignited on July 22, Cal Fire identified the blaze as California's largest of the year to date, with more than 16,700 acres burned. The fire was 10 percent contained by Monday morning.

In a series of updates shared on Yosemite's Twitter page, officials wrote about the Oak Fire shutting down Highway 140 and causing poor air quality. The park encouraged people to check Cal Fire's incident report and local air quality estimates for updates as firefighters continue battling the blaze.

Washburn Fire

The Washburn Fire has been active for 17 days after igniting the afternoon of July 7. The fire started in Mariposa County near Wawona, east of where the Oak Fire later ignited.

The Wawona area was expected to reopen throughout the week, according to Yosemite's update. The openings will start with Wawona's wilderness area on Monday and will continue with the community reopening on Thursday. Hotel and vacation properties will also reopen on Thursday, Yosemite's Twitter thread said.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is still closed as a result of the Washburn Fire, as is the Wawona Campground.

"All other areas of Yosemite are open, although a reservation is required to drive into the park if arriving between 6 am and 4 pm," park officials tweeted.

Recent Massive Wildfires to Hit Mariposa County

The Oak Fire is one of many recent wildfires to hit Mariposa County, California.

In July 2017, Mariposa County was also hit with the Detwiler Fire. There were 81,826 acres burned, 21 structures damaged and 131 structures destroyed. The fire was determined to be caused by firearms.

A year later, the Ferguson Fire engulfed the area around Sierra National Forest, Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park.

It took nearly six months to contained the flames that burned 96,901 acres. Two firefighters died and 10 structures were destroyed. The fire was caused by a faulty vehicle catalytic converter.

Fire Is California's Largest This Year

The Oak Fire burning in Mariposa County is the largest recorded so far this year in California.

Cal Fire's incident log for 2022 shows the Oak Fire topping its list of fires by size. The blaze burned 16,791 acres and destroyed seven structures by Monday morning, the department said.

Before the Oak Fire began burning on July 22, the largest fire recorded by Cal Fire this year burned fewer than 6,000 acres. Including the Oak Fire, only five blazes monitored by Cal Fire have burned more than 1,000 acres so far this year, according to the department.

10 Largest California Fires in 2022

1. Oak Fire in Mariposa County: 16,791 acres
2. Lost Lake Fire in Riverside County: 5,856 acres
3. Electra Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties: 4,478 acres
4. Airport Fire in Inyo County: 4,136 acres
5. Thunder Fire in Kern County: 2,500 acres
6. Rices Fire in Nevada County: 904 acres
7. Sheep Fire in San Bernardino County: 865 acres
8. Colorado Fire in Monterey County: 687 acres
9. Edmonston Fire in Kern County: 682 acres
10. River Fire in Colusa County: 595 acres

Though the Oak Fire is the biggest so far this year, it has covered far less ground than the largest fires in the state's recorded history. A Cal Fire database identifies the August Complex Fire in August 2020 as the state's largest. It burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed 935 structures before firefighters brought it under control.

The top 20 largest fires in recorded California history have all burned more than 175,000 acres.

Mariposa County Sergeant Loses Home in Fire

A fundraiser has been set up for a Mariposa County Sheriff's Office Sergeant who lost his home while working on the Oak Fire.

Sergeant Wes Smith was helping with the evacuation of hundreds of people when his own home was engulfed by the flames. His wife was able to safety escape as fire raged through their property.

The Mariposa Sheriff's Management Association is now asking for donations to help the Smith family buy necessary supplies and find a place to stay while they rebuild.

"Sergeant Smith has been a pillar of the community he serves for decades now and even though he only has the uniform he was wearing while his home was lost, he continues to serve his community every day," the Peace Officers Relief & Education Foundation said.

FEMA Approves Funds for California

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just approved the use of federal funds to help fight the Oak Fire in Mariposa County.

California Governor Gavin Newsom asked for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from FEMA over the weekend to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the wildfire.

As part of the President's Disaster Relief Fund, FMAGs provide federal funding for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs, according to FEMA.

The cost of expenses including field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization and "demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire" are covered by FMAGs.

Map Shows Where Fire Is Burning

An updated incident report shared by Cal Fire Monday morning included a map that showed where the Oak Fire is burning.

The fire map shows Bootjack to the south of the blaze as it stretches west into the Midpines area. The incident report was last updated at 8:56 a.m. local time on Monday.

More than 16,700 acres have burned since the fire began nearly three full days ago, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters reported 10 percent containment of the fire by Monday morning.

People in nearby parts of California shared photos of the Oak Fire smoke that was visible several miles away.

The smoke was also visible from space, NASA satellite images showed.

The spreading smoke could be seen in a timelapse video pulled from an Alertwildfire.org camera and shared by KSEE-TV weather anchor Reuben Contreras. The video began at 3 p.m. local time on Sunday and showed the dramatic expanse of the smoke over the nine hours that followed as the fire grew.

Newlyweds Lose Home Two Weeks After Wedding

A recently married couple has discovered their home was one of several structures destroyed in the Oak Fire over the weekend.

Steve and Andrea Ward learned their home was one of those that was destroyed by seeing images of the fire on social media, according to KSEE-TV. The Wards were married two weeks ago at their home, the station reported.

Steve Ward described seeing images of one home that looked like "an inferno" and realizing with his wife that it was their home.

"And then she's looking over my shoulder and this home that we had just got married at two weeks ago, it explodes, and you're looking at it on a mobile phone," he told the station. The home was destroyed in minutes.

The couple went to visit what remained of their home on Sunday. The Wards said a windmill on the property also survived the fire. The couple told the station they plan to rebuild their home but noted they do not have insurance.

As of Monday morning, Cal Fire reported that the fire burned more than 16,700 acres and destroyed seven structures.

Nearby Resident Calls Skies 'Apocalyptic'

People are sharing images from the Oak Fire that continues to burn near Yosemite National Park.

Even thought some are miles from the flames, the skies are still filled with smoke.

Even those 48 miles north of the Oak Fire are seeing thick air mixed with smoke and ash.

One person described the conditions as "apocalyptic."

Other have shared images of the damage the fire has left behind.

According to CalFire, seven structures have been destroyed as the fire grows to nearly 16,800 acres.

Over 2,600 Customers Still Without Power

More than 2,600 customers in Mariposa County are still without power Monday morning as firefighters continue battling the Oak Fire.

The outages in Mariposa County impacted 2,679 customers as of 9:30 a.m. local time. All those affected were customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), according to PowerOutage.US.

The outage has impacted the area, shaded in orange and yellow, since Friday afternoon, according to PG&E.

"PG&E is unable to access the affected equipment," the company said in its latest status update Monday morning. "Our preliminary determination is that your outage was caused by a fire in your area." The update did not list an estimated time of restoration.

Nearly 2,000 customers without power were in Mariposa, and most of the other customers were located in either Bootjack or Midpines.

Shortly before the Oak Fire began on July 22, PG&E shared a video on social media that provided a brief overview of some of its planned wildfire mitigation strategies. The plan includes bringing thousands of miles of power lines underground, 175 miles of which PG&E said it plans to move this year.

Mariposa County Under 'Exceptional Drought'

Almost all of California is under Severe to Exceptional Drought intensity, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.

An estimated 37 million people are currently living in drought areas.

Mariposa County, California, where the Oak Fire continues to grow, is currently under "Exceptional Drought." Several nearby counties are also listed under "Exceptional Drought," including Fresno and Madera.

The month of July has brought dry, drought conditions across the western United States.

As of July 19, 73 percent of the West is in drought, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) said.

Climate change has places areas of California in a megadrought for over two decades.

"While this megadrought has improved or worsened at times, the last two years have been particularly dry for the West as a whole," NIDIS said in a report.

While conditions remain dry, the area of drought in the western U.S. shrank from 89 percent to 73 percent.

Dozens of Evacuation Orders Remain

Dozens of evacuation orders remain in place Monday morning as firefighters battle the Oak Fire in Mariposa County.

Thousands of people were instructed to evacuate over the weekend. More than three dozen roads were still included on Cal Fire's evacuation order list Monday morning, and several others were listed as under an evacuation warning. The list of evacuation orders and warnings is available at this link.

Mariposa Elementary School is serving as an evacuation center for residents who had to leave their homes, as well as small animals. The Mariposa County Fairgrounds and the Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds are accepting large animals, and the Mariposa County SPCA is also accepting small animals that have been evacuated, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire reported that the fire, which has been burning for nearly three full days, was about 10 percent contained as of Monday morning. Crews continue fighting "in hot, dry conditions and steep, rugged terrain," Cal Fire said in its latest incident report.

Evacuation Center for Residents:

• Mariposa Elementary School

Animal Evacuation Centers

• Small Animals: Mariposa County SPCA
• Small Animals: Mariposa Elementary School
• Large Animals: Mariposa County Fairgrounds
• Large Animals: Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds

Moderate to Unhealthy Air Quality in CA, NV

The smoke from the Oak Fire is causing poor air quality across California and parts of northwestern Nevada Monday.

Hazy skies have been reported across northern California Monday morning. Some of the smoke from the fire has reached parts of Oregon and Washington.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reports moderate to unhealthy air quality in Northern California, the Sierra and parts of northwestern Nevada, including Reno and Carson City.

The NWS advises residents to stay inside, limit outdoor activities, keep windows closed and use an air filter.

Hot and sunny conditions are still expected in Northern California Monday. The smoke may impact temperatures in the Bay Area, according to NBC Bay Area.

Yosemite Live Feed Shows Smoke at Park Landmarks

Smoke from the Oak Fire can be seen at some of Yosemite National Park's landmarks.

The Yosemite Conservatory provides live webcam images from the Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.

The smoke is still visible throughout the park as the fire continues to grow Monday. Here are live pictures from around 7:30 a.m. PST.

New Report Shows 16,791 Acres Burned, 10% Contained

The Oak Fire is growing but fire crews have made some progress in controlling the blaze.

As of Monday morning, the fire has grown to 16,791 acres throughout Mariposa County, California and is now 10 percent contained, according to CalFire.

"Fire activity was not as extreme as it has been in previous days," CalFire said in its latest report. "Firefighters made good headway today." Over 60 crews and 2,548 fire personnel are on the scene battling the flames.

Five structures have been damaged and 10 structures have been destroyed.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.