Photos of Tenaya Fire in Yosemite NP shortly after it started

Tenaya Fire in Yosemite National Park
Tenaya Fire in Yosemite National Park, September 7, 2015. Photo by Mark Meyer.

Mark Meyer took these photos of the Tenaya Fire shortly after it started during the evening of September 7, 2015 in Yosemite National Park. The fire eventually burned 415 acres before it was contained. It was located between Yosemite Valley and Tioga Road (Highway 120) along both sides of the Lehamite Creek Trail.

Tenaya Fire in Yosemite National Park
Tenaya Fire in Yosemite National Park, September 7, 2015. Photo by Mark Meyer.

Our main article about the Tenaya Fire.

The spread of the Tenaya Fire above Yosemite Valley slows

(UPDATE at 10:12 a.m. PT, September 10, 2015)

The Tenaya Fire in Yosemite National Park in California slowed on Wednesday due to the efforts of aviation assets and troops on the ground. In fact the mapped size of 431 acres is a decrease from the estimated 500-acre figure the park released earlier.

The park reports that firefighter efforts at the heel of the fire are holding and good progress is being made on the flanks.

The NPS says this is a “suppression fire” even though three other fires in the park, all currently less than 50 acres, are not being fully suppressed. A Wednesday evening statement from the park said:

Although the use air tankers were initially discouraged, the use of retardant was necessary due to active and rapid rate of fire spread. Key reasons include firefighter and visitor safety, and risks to and closing the Tioga Road, negatively affecting the local communities that rely on park visitation, including the communities include Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes, Groveland and Mariposa.

Map Tenaya Fire 9-9-15
Map of the Tenaya Fire, Sept 9, 2015. NPS.

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(Originally published at 7:47 a.m. PT, September 9, 2015)

Tenaya Fire
Tenaya Fire, September 8, 2015. NPS photo.

The Tenaya Fire started September 7 in California’s Yosemite National Park between Yosemite Valley and Tioga Road (Highway 120). It is burning along both sides of the Lehamite Creek Trail from the north rim of the Valley to Tioga Road. (See the map below.)

The Park Service reports that full suppression efforts began on September 8 which included approximately 60 firefighters, six air tankers, and three helicopters. Additional resources will arrive on the fire September 9.

map of Tenaya Fire
3-D map of Tenaya Fire, showing heat detected by a satellite at 1:47 a.m. September 9, 2015. Looking northwest. (Click to enlarge.)

No structures are currently threatened and as of Tuesday night there was no containment on the fire. The cause is under investigation.

Video explores the 2013 Rim Fire in Yosemite National Park

Firefighter and a Giant Sequoia
Firefighter and a fire-scarred Giant Sequoia. Still image from the NPS video.

We are pleased to see that some federal agencies, especially the National Park Service, are producing professional-quality films that interpret for the general public the science of wildland fire. We have written previously about successful video projects produced by Everglades National Park, and now Yosemite National Park has released their second film about the science of the 2013 Rim Fire that burned 254,685 acres in and near the Park. Their first one featured Fire Ecologist Gus Smith, and a second with the inspired title of “Rim Fire” was uploaded today on YouTube. It is embedded below and emphasizes the importance of reintroducing fire into the forest while treating your eyes to excellent photography.

Animated fire history for Yosemite National Park

Kate Wilkin describes this video that illustrates the fire history in Yosemite National Park in Southern California:

Once fire is restored as an ecosystem process, fires often fit together like a jig saw puzzle or overlap slightly. Where fires overlap, they sometimes moderate how many trees are killed by the fire. However, if a fire kills most trees, then following fires continue to kill many trees. These findings are from the Wildland Fire Use program, such as in
Yosemite National Park’s upper mixed conifer forests in the Illilouette Creek Basin—a nearly 50 year experiment allowing 150+ lightning strike fires to burn in Yosemite’s wilderness. Here, the fire frequency and effects are approaching historical forest conditions. These results, which reduce fire hazards for people and nature, could be seen in similar forests elsewhere in California if fire became a principle tool of forest management.

Video by Kate Wilkin and Shannon Fairchild from the Stephens Wildland Fire Science Lab at the University of California at at Berkeley. The map is projected in UTM 11N NAD 83. Fire history polygons from Yosemite National park.

Ms. Wilkin is a graduate student at Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She elaborates on her work HERE.

In 2015 Yosemite National Park celebrates their 150th year.

Wildfire briefing, September 12, 2014

Three homes damaged in Washington wildfire

A fire near White Salmon, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge damaged three residences Thursday afternoon. The spread of the Copper Fire was stopped at 10 acres and it was almost contained by 9 p.m. Thursday.

Bears are a problem on the fire in Yosemite

Firefighters on the Meadow Fire in Yosemite National Park in California are having to deal with bears as well as the fire. The critters are described as a “major issue” for the safety of fire crews that are staying overnight in spike camps in remote areas near the fire. Measures are being taken to not attract bears to the food and other supplies. Trash is being backhauled daily.

The Meadow Fire started on July 19 and was monitored but not suppressed until it grew substantially on September 7. It is now 4,906 acres and the incident management team is saying it is 50 percent controlled.

Slow wildfire season saves Montana money

The wildfire season that has been much slower than normal in Montana has led to the lowest spending on firefighting in a decade. The number of acres burned in the state this year has been 12 percent of the five-year average. The $1.7 spent so far leaves about $44 million in the fire suppression fund that will be available to use next year.

New system to determine fire danger during Santa Ana winds

The U.S. Forest Service has worked with San Diego Gas & Electric and UCLA to develop a new system to calculate localized fire danger during the strong Santa Ana wind events that typically blow across southern California during the last months of the year. In addition to considering the typical inputs such as temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and vegetation moisture, the “Fire Prep” program will also analyze the history of each target area over the previous 30 years. The USFS plans to send alerts designed to help fire agencies, other emergency responders and the public take appropriate action based on the threat level.

The system will be unveiled on September 17.

Nine naturally occurring eternal flames

An article at mnn.com lists and has photos of nine sites around the world that have naturally occurring fires burning almost non-stop – many of them for centuries. Most of the fires are fueled by natural gas or methane. There are dozens or hundreds of underground coal fires burning that are not listed, but those are typically difficult or impossible to see or photograph.

Lava flow less than half a mile from subdivision

The lava flowing from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is now less than half a mile from the Kaohe Homestead subdivision boundary.

Target practice banned in some areas of California during drought

Excerpts from the Ramona Home Journal:

Cal Fire recently announced restrictions on recreational shooting of guns on public lands due to the extreme risk of wildfire that can result from discharging weapons during the current dry conditions.

Shooting is restricted by County Code when the California Department of Forestry proclaims a “high fire hazard,” which it did on June 20, 2014, making it unlawful for any person to discharge a firearm within State Responsibility Areas until the proclamation is lifted.

According to Cal Fire, there has been an increase in fires caused by recreational shooting across San Diego County, including the General Fire in 2013, and the Border Fire last month. Fire suppression costs for shooting-related incidents in San Diego County cost taxpayers more than two million dollars a year. The announcement from the agency also cited the Health and Safety Code, which states that persons who are responsible for starting a fire will be liable for the costs resulting from that fire.

Video of hikers evacuated by helicopter from Yosemite’s Half Dome

When Shelby Seabaugh began her hike to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in California on September 7, she had no idea she would be flown off the mountain in a helicopter. This video documents her adventure that day.

When she reached the top, the Meadow Fire burning east of their location caused Park officials to decide that all 85 of the hikers on Half Dome would have to be evacuated by helicopters.

Four agencies supplied the ships that hauled the hikers off the mountain: the California Highway Patrol, U.S. Forest Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, and CAL FIRE.

If you are not inclined to watch the entire 17-minute video, which includes the hike from the bottom to the top, and the helicopter ride back down again, you can start at about 10:30 which is when the group was near the top and includes some interesting views down onto the Meadow fire. At 11:30 it appears that helitack personnel are briefing the hikers about their upcoming helicopter ride.

More information about the Meadow Fire.

Below are some screen grabs from the video (which can be viewed on YouTube).

helicopter evacuation from Half Dome

helicopter evacuation from Half Dome

helicopter evacuation from Half Dome

The Tweet below appears to be from another group of hikers that were flown off Half Dome that day.