Air-quality concerns have prompted firefighters to target half a dozen small fires in Yosemite National Park that ordinarily would have been allowed to burn themselves out.
The park wants to be a “good neighbor” and not add more smoke to Valley air, fire information officer Gary Wuchner said.
Lightning storms earlier this week were believed to have sparked the fires in wilderness areas of Yosemite.
The largest is the four-acre Hill fire on the north rim above Yosemite Valley. Two helicopters and 30 firefighters were expected to contain the flames by Friday evening, Wuchner said.
The Mount Starr King fire southeast of Glacier Point at 8,500 feet flared up Thursday. It was contained by helicopter attack crews after burning an eighth of an acre.
Along the Tioga Road at 7,600 feet, half a mile south of the Mariposa County line, the Cascade fire was reported contained Friday morning.
Three other small blazes — the Pack, Fork and Clark fires, all in remote areas — were reported contained by firefighters who were flown in by helicopters and used hand tools to fight the flames. Normally, the National Park Service allows naturally kindled fires to burn in remote wilderness areas as managed control burns, if they’re determined to pose no danger to people or structures.
west coast 911 firefighter news source- The Fresno Bee
You must log in to post a comment.