FRESNO (KMJ) — Containment on the Ferguson Fire has both risen and fallen over the weekend, as crews battle to keep it under control.
On Friday it stood at 41%, on Saturday it fell to 35%, and on Monday rose to 38%. The size of the fire Monday morning was reported to be 91,502 acres. The latest numbers can be found clicking here.
It comes as closures continue at Yosemite National Park due to increased fire activity. Rangers announced the decision to extend them indefinitely on Sunday. Areas currently declared out of bounds include:
- Yosemite Valley
- El Portal Road
- Wawona Road
- Big Oak Flat Road
- Glacier Point
- The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
- The Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias
- Wawona Campground
- Crane Flat Campground
- Tamarack Campground
A up to date list can be found clicking here.
“If nothing else, Yosemite could be described as resilient,” said President of the Yosemite Climbing Association Ken Yager.
“You look at the rock slides you deal with, sinkholes, flooding, fires, we see it all except for earthquakes – but I don’t want to speak too soon!”
Rangers have warned that dead and downed trees can actually become explosive and fall without warning. The blaze has already claimed the lives of two firefighters and injured 12.
“We’ve got a lot of dead trees on the hillside from the drought and the pine bark beetle killing all these trees. So there’s a huge supply of fuel,” added Yager.
The National Park Service has reminded visitors that a large portion of Yosemite does remain open, including Tioga Road from Tioga Pass to White Wolf. Surrounding communities such as Sonora, Mariposa, and Oakhurst are open for business as well.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
