Yosemite National Park’s centuries-old sequoia grove was mostly out of danger Thursday, though firefighters warned a risk remains for any fire until it’s 100% controlled.
“Mariposa Grove is in a very good place. We’re going to put some specialty crews in there to work deeper into the grove, clean it up, but we’re very close to tying up all the dots together,” said Matt Ahern, deputy operations chief with the California Interagency Incident Management Team.
With fire lines around the grove holding, containment looked good, but crews will continue to reinforce the area and deal with hazard trees, he said in a briefing early Thursday.
The fire drew the world’s attention as the iconic Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, visited by more than 1 million people a year, was threatened this week as the Washburn Fire drew nearer.
The grove covers 248 acres and contains more than 500 mature giant sequoia trees. Some of them are estimated to be as much as 3,000 to 3,500 years old. The frequently photographed Grizzly Giant sequoia stands 209 feet tall and is estimated to weigh 2 million pounds.
As of Thursday, the fire covered 4,375 acres and was 23% contained, according to information posted by national park staff.
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Firefighters have focused on protecting the grove and the historic Wawona Hotel and nearby campground.
“Wawona structure defense remains in place. We’re feeling much more comfortable with that at this point,” Ahern said. But “there is still a threat until we can get to the heat sources.”
Though crews have been fortunate that there have been no heavy winds this week to whip up the fire, concern remains high, said Stanley Bercovitz, a public information officer with the California Interagency Incident Management Team.
“The threat is greatly reduced,” he said.
The National Park Service has used controlled burns to limit the fuel supply and reduce the risk of wildfires, but the area as a whole remains at elevated risk.
“The grove has an unbelievable amount of fuels surrounding it,” Bercovitz said.
While Yosemite National Park is open to the public, the areas around the Mariposa Grove and Wawona Hotel will remain closed until the danger has passed, Bercovitz said.
That includes the risk of burned branches falling long after the fire itself has been extinguished, Bercovitz said. “We call those widowmakers.”
