What was intended to be a 91-acre prescribed burn in Yosemite National Park has grown into an almost 5,000-acre wildfire since the burn started last Wednesday. It’s being referred to as the Big Meadow Burn, and is currently threatening many park structures and led to evacuations of Yosemite View Lodge, Old El Portal, and Foresta. However, as of 7:30pm on Monday, August 31, the evacuations of Old El Portal and Yosemite View Lodge were lifted.
With the help of almost 1,000 firefighters actively suppressing the fire it is about 55% contained, but terrain and weather conditions are making it difficult for firefighters. According to InciWeb, expected containment is around September 10th. In addition, road closures and restrictions throughout the park are expected to cause delays for park visitors.
The National Park Service has answered some frequently asked questions about the Big Meadow Fire that you can read on their website. Many have been asking why the burn was prescribed for such a hot time of year, and an inter-agency review panel will be put together to review this issue in the coming weeks. The NPS regularly prescribes burns as a means to regenerate growth and prevent fuel buildup. However, this is one prescribed burn that got out of control very quickly.
[...] been a few weeks now since the planned burn in Yosemite National Park went out of control on August 26th. It has since been 100% contained, but the wildfire scorched 7,500 acres in the [...]