News Release

Dome Fire Update, September 23, 2026 (morning)

News Release Date: September 23, 2026

Current Situation

3,795 acres
15% containment
840 personnel

The fire grew 273 acres since yesterday’s update, and 56 more personnel are now assigned.  Overnight, fire activity was along the north and northeast sides of the fire between Horse Ridge and Empire Meadows, in the old 2017 Empire Fire footprint.  On the east side near Horse Ridge, activity was light, with isolated pockets of fuel burning.  Today, fire behavior should be similar to a few days ago, when winds were also from the southwest.  Firefighters expect mostly surface fire, which lets crews work directly on the fire’s edge, except where wind and slope line up.Firefighters are widening containment lines between Empire Meadows and Turner Ridge, working from the top down and the bottom up.  Crews are doing the same work along the Bridalveil trail system to the 2017 Empire Fire footprint.  In addition to helicopters, pack strings are carrying supplies to firefighters on the fire line.A second fire camp is now set up at Badger Pass to support firefighters and cut travel time to the fire.  The Incident Command Post remains at Mariposa County Fairgrounds.

Weather

It will be much drier today, with little to no cloud cover over the fire.  Temperatures will be a bit warmer, in the upper 60s, with relative humidity around 30%.  Winds came from the northwest yesterday and will shift to the southwest today, the normal pattern.

Evacuations

There are no evacuation orders or warnings in place. There are no immediate threats to infrastructures or developed areas.

Closures

Yosemite National Park is open and operating normally with the following exception. The Chilnualna Falls trail, as well as the trails from the top of Chilhualna Falls towards Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes, are closed due to the Dome Fire. These lakes are reachable from the east. Ostrander Trail and all areas and trails south of it are closed. The closed area extends east of the Wawona Road from Wawona to Chinquapin, as seen on the public information map.

Tags: yfn, wildland fire, wildfire

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