Yosemite National Park Announces Beginning of Fire Season

Yosemite, Ca — Fire Season at Yosemite National Park will officially begin Monday, May 21st.

Starting at this time, backyard pile burning will no longer be allowed in any park community.

The large wood piles managed by the National Park Service located at Hodgdon Meadows, Foresta, Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and Wawona may be periodically burned by the Fire Management Office. Residents are welcome to haul wood debris and vegetation to the community burn piles at Wawona, Hodgdon, Foresta, Valley and El Portal.

As of May 21st, Yosemite Fire Management will have four Type III Engines and a helicopter staffed seven days a week.

Yosemite National Park is anticipating a potentially long and severe fire season. Officials say fire season and burning restrictions are being announced approximately one month early. This is due to an unusually dry and warm winter and spring. Snow pack from the May 1st snow survey was 29% of normal for the Tuolumne River drainage and 28% of normal for the Merced River drainage.

Visitors to Yosemite National Park can help prevent unwanted fire. Each year campfires, cigarettes, and human carelessness cause unwanted fires. Visitors are encouraged to build small campfires in established campfire rings, never leave a fire unattended, and extinguish fires completely.

Written by BJ Hansen