Big Meadow Fire

Big Meadow Fire

Posted September 11, 2009 - 10:50am by Yosemite Blog

A National Park Service investigation team is sifting through the blackened hillsides and ash left by Yosemite's 7,500-acre Big Meadow fire, probing what went wrong two weeks ago when a planned burn escaped control lines and prompted the evacuation of the small community of Foresta.

The investigators will conduct a forensic review of the fire that ran out of control Aug. 26 after embers ignited timber and chaparral surrounding the 90-acre grassy meadow being burned by park officials. The blaze eventually required more than 1,300 personnel and $15 million to contain, making it the second most expensive firefighting effort this season on public lands nationwide.

The situation has embarrassed Yosemite officials, whose management of one of the crown jewels of the park system is habitually under scrutiny. Tall columns of smoke were visible from the heavily visited Yosemite Valley, and flames forced road closures during the busy summer season.

The "prescribed" fire escaped its intended boundaries on the same day that a series of rock falls from the Royal Arches formation closed the swanky Ahwahnee Hotel for two days.

The park's acting superintendent defended Yosemite's fire team as "the best in the business."

All roads in Yosemite are now open

Posted September 9, 2009 - 6:46am by Yosemite Blog

Hwy 120 is now open after being closed for almost 2 weeks by the "out of control" control burn Big Meadow fire.

Big Meadow Fire Udate, 100% contained!

Posted September 7, 2009 - 12:21pm by Yosemite Blog

Big Meadow Fire Current Situation:

The road from Big Oak Flat entrance station to Crane Flat and across Tioga is now open. Drivers are advised to use caution due to smoke on the road from vegetation still burning within the containment lines. Although travel is now possible between Groveland and Lee Vining, the road from Crane Flat to the El Portal Road remains closed, making Yosemite Valley accessible ONLY via Mariposa and El Portal along Highway 140 or via Oakhurst and Wawona on Highway 41.

The fire is now 100% contained. Firefighters continue to mop up interior hot spots around the Foresta area and Tamarack Flat Campground. Hazard tree cutting and debris removal continues along Big Oak Flat Road.

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Three firefighters stand in the foreground as a loader sweeps branches off a hig

Yosemite Hwy 120 road closure map, closed between Crane Flat and Yosemite Valley

Posted September 7, 2009 - 7:36am by Yosemite Blog

Update 9/7/09

Hwy 120 between Crane Flat and Yosemite Valley tentatively to open at 5pm on 9/8/09

Yosemite Hwy 120 is closed due to the Big Meadow Fire between Crane Flat and Yosemite Valley

If you are staying anywhere on Hwy 120 such as Evergreen Lodge you wil have a 3 hour drive each way to and from Yosemite Valley.

If you are coming over Tioga Pass, Hwy 120 and want to get to Yosemite Valley you will have to drive Hwy 120 to J132 to hwy 49 to Hwy 140

 

Closed road is in red.


View Yosemite Big Meadow Road Closures in a larger map

Yosemite Daily Photo, Clear Cool Weather & Big Meadow Fire Photos

Posted September 7, 2009 - 6:55am by Yosemite Blog

The fall weather has set in with perfect temperatures in Yosemite.  Look for temps in the 80's in Yosemite Valley and in the low 70's in Tuolumne Meadows. It was 33 degrees this morning in Tuolumne Meadows.

The Big Meadow Fire is almost 100% contained and barely noticeable with no smoke in Yosemite Valley, just crystal clear blue skies.

I am finally catching up on editing photos from the Big Meadow Fire and here are a series of panoramic photos. The first is from a deck in Foresta taken 8.28.09 showing the burnt area and the other 2 were taken at Crane Flat Lookout on 8.27.09 showing the growing fire cloud.

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Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite
Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite
Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite

Yosemite Daily Photo, Big Meadow Fire Cloud on 8.27.09

Posted September 6, 2009 - 1:09pm by Yosemite Blog

This was taken on 8.27.09, 12:44pm, and shows the Big Meadow Fire cloud from Crane Flat lookout. It is looking east towards Foresta and Yosemite Valley and this is when the fire was really starting to take off.

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Big Meadow Fire Cloud on 8.27.09

Yosemite Hwy 120, the Tioga Pass Road to reopen between Tuolumne and Crane Flat.

Posted September 5, 2009 - 6:52pm by Yosemite Blog

Incident: Big Meadow Wildfire Wildfire

At 8:00am on Sunday, September 6, 2009, the road from Big Oak Flat entrance station to Crane Flat and across Tioga Pass will re-open, making through travel possible between Groveland and Lee Vining. However, the road from Crane Flat to the El Portal Road will remain closed, making Yosemite Valley accessible ONLY via Mariposa and El Portal along Highway 140 or via Wawona on Highway 41.

Current Situation: Fire crews continue to work on falling hazardous trees along the Big Oak Flat Road. Utility crews have entered the area to repair and restore critical infrastructure to Yosemite National Park and surrounding communities.

Yosemite Daily Photo, New Fire, Old Fire and Blue Skies, 9/4/09

Posted September 4, 2009 - 2:36pm by Yosemite Blog

Well the Big Meadow Fire seems to be winding down as they almost have lines all the way around and the fire is not big today. There still is some good smoke going up in the Crane Flat and Tamarack Flat area but nothing like previous days.

A new fire erupted in the old control burn area of the Grouse Creek Fire by Hwy 41 from this June, probably a smoldering stump or something. It was putting up a little bit of smoke but the Helicopter was right on it dropping buckets of water.

Yosemite Valley is very smokey in the morning as the smoke settles down in there at night but it blows out by 11am and the Valley is beautiful and clear the rest of the day.

Remember that Hwy 120 is closed all weekend.

Today's photo is from Foresta looking west over Big Meadow, which only had 10% burn!, up to Crane Flat area and the fire smoke still kicking up.

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Yosemite Daily Photo, New Fire, Old Fire and Blue Skies