Wildfire Shuts Down Parts of Yosemite National Park
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
A wildfire that ignited in California on Friday is raging into Yosemite National Park during peak tourist season, officials said on Monday.
The deadly fire has burned 14 square miles of forest along the western edge of the park so far and has shut down a major access road into Yosemite. Park officials tweeted that Highway 140 was closed down, causing wait times to pile up on other entrance roads into the nature reserve.
Highway 140 between Midpines and El Portal remains closed with no anticipated time to reopen. Due to the road closure on Highway 140, expect long wait times on Highway 41 at the south entrance to Yosemite National Park.#FergusonFire #Yosemite #NationalPark
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) July 15, 2018
The blaze also forced the evacuation of the Yosemite Cedar Lodge, a hotel on the park’s grounds. “You can’t see anything, it’s so smoky outside. It’s crazy,” front desk clerk Spencer Arebalo told USA Today. Officials in the area said that more mandatory evacuations would be on the way.
Park officials also warned visitors to be cautious of the smoke sweeping over Yosemite.
Visitors who are sensitive to smoke should plan to limit any strenuous outdoor activities or plan to visit the park another time.
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) July 15, 2018
Pacific Gas and Electric announced it’s shutting down its power lines in the area, so there is no power at Yosemite, either. On Monday, hundreds of firefighters were dispatched to battle the blaze, which was only about 2% contained. One fatality — firefighter Braden Varney, 36 — occurred Saturday as a result of the fire.
The fire is “likely to burn for many days and may eventually become a major threat” to Yosemite, Daniel Swain, a climatologist with UCLA told USA Today.
Featured image courtesy Yosemite National Park via Twitter.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.