CalFire put Yosemite’s Dome Fire at 4,030 acres burned and 15% contained as of 7 a.m. Sept. 24. Since it started Sept. 15, no evacuation orders or warnings were issued; the National Park Service reported no immediate threat to infrastructure or developed areas.
CalFire said the burned area nearly quadrupled from 1,177.1 acres on Sept. 17 to 4,030 acres by Sept. 24. Firefighters faced rugged terrain and limited access deep in Yosemite wilderness. On Sept. 20, helicopter pilots Greg King of Palmer, Alaska, and Ryan Cutter of Park City, Utah, died when their helicopter crashed while fighting the fire; both worked for Oregon-based contractor Precision. Officials are investigating the cause.
Fifteen percent containment means crews had secured control lines around about 15% of the fire’s perimeter; it does not mean the fire was out. The National Park Service announced Glacier Point Road would close at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 because of reduced visibility from smoke. The Four Mile and Panorama trails remained open, and people parked overnight at Glacier Point were allowed to leave once the closure began.
