Yosemite National Park Remains Open Despite Nearby Briceburg Fire

The Briceburg Fire, which has reached 4,905 acres and is currently at 30 percent containment, has not closed down nearby Yosemite National Park, but it has made it difficult to access and visitors to the park should expect smoky conditions.

Park officials announced that despite the nearby fire, there are currently no closures in the park, although visitors should avoid the closed Highway 140 where the fire is located. All roads inside the park are currently open.

“Conditions may be smoky at times, which may affect air quality and visibility,” the park said in a statement.

The Fall is a popular time to visit the park, although recent years have seen fires cause closures and extremely smoky conditions for visitors. With that being said, visitation at the world-renown National Park remains at an all time high.

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All areas of Yosemite National Park are open, despite the Briceburg Fire, which is burning about 10 miles west of Yosemite. This fire has caused the closure of Highway 140 between El Portal and Midpines. Visitors arriving to Yosemite via Mariposa should use Highway 49 from Mariposa to Oakhurst, then Highway 41 to Yosemite. Highway 140 is open between El Portal and Yosemite, and all roads within the park are open. Conditions may be smokey at times, which may affect air quality and visibility. Check current conditions on the Yosemite webcams. Photo: from the High Sierra Webcam today (Wednesday) at 12:31 p.m.

A post shared by Yosemite National Park (@yosemitenps) on Oct 9, 2019 at 12:44pm PDT

The Briceburg Fire began on Sunday afternoon and has forced closures in the rural area of Mariposa County just outside the park. High winds have helped the fire grow but with the lack of significant fires in the state, CalFire has been able to dedicate resources to grow the containment quickly.