SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Crews are battling a wildfire which erupted on Thursday in the lower part of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park, officials said.
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The Washburn Fire grew from approximately 45 acres on Thursday night to 250 acres as of Friday morning, according to park spokesperson Nancy Phillipe. Firefighters responded with ground and air suppression.
"Winds are pretty calm and the temperatures are fairly mellow so we're really hoping the weather stays this favorable conditions so we can continue really heavy with the aircraft and the ground crews that we have currently on scene and the ones that will be arriving later today as well," Phillipe said.
The Mariposa Grove has been closed until further notice. All other parts of the park remain open as well as Highway 41 which leads into the southern edge of the park.
The area is the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and home to over 500 of the park's famed mature giant sequoia trees. In 1864, President Abaraham Lincoln signed legislation protecting the grove for "public use, resort, and recreation."
"We have had several prescribed burns in the area over the last many years and we do anticipate that work helping to slow the fire spread," Phillipe said. "We're just hoping to keep our numbers very minimal. We have not had any reports of any significant damage to any of the named trees."
An evacuation advisory has been issued in the community of Wawona. Phillipe asked that residents be prepared to evacuate. She also cautioned that visitors to Yosemite should "be careful. We’ve got lots of equipment and aircraft. It's easy to get distracted as you're driving because it's quite the airshow here."
Last year a collection of giant sequoia trees in the grove were toppled during a rare wind event, causing $200 million in damage in the park.
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