Yosemite: Washburn wildfire forces closure of Mariposa Grove

YOSEMITE – The Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park remained closed Friday afternoon as a wildfire that ignited Thursday near the lower portion of the popular destination continued to expand, fire officials said.

The Washburn Fire had increased to 250 acres by late Friday morning, according to a statement from Yosemite Fire officials. There was no estimate on containment of the fire.

The fire was first reported on the park’s the Washburn Trail — for which the fire was then named — in the Mariposa Grove’s lower section on Thursday around 2 p.m. by 911 callers, Phillipe said. Its cause remains under investigation.

Authorities evacuated the area and firefighters were battling the blaze with engines, crews and aircraft.

Mariposa Grove has the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and features more than 500 mature giant sequoias. The sequoias are threatened by the flames, but there have been no reports of severe damage to the grove’s named sequoias, such as the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant, according to Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson

Some park visitors had to be evacuated from the fire zone Thursday, but there were no injuries. Access to the grove was closed to allow firefighters easier access to the flames, Phillipe said.

The Mariposa Grove is closed until further notice, according to the park. State officials also told people in all areas in Wawona to be prepared for a potential evacuation. Wawona Road and the South Entrance to Yosemite remained open.

All other areas of the park also were open.

“We’re really hitting it hard, as much as we can,” Phillipe said.

The Washburn Fire is burning near the lower portion of the Mariposa Grove. The fire is about five to eight acres. Firefighters are suppressing the fire from the ground and air. The Mariposa Grove is closed until further notice.#WashburnFire #Yosemite pic.twitter.com/a8UmOM9Baz

— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) July 8, 2022

OCFA Intel 24 on the #WashburnFire Yosemite National Park. Fire is mapped at 46 acres at 20:00 hours. pic.twitter.com/nQ3HjP0RNO

— FIRIS (@FIRIS) July 8, 2022