News Release

Yosemite Fire Update for July 28, 2023

Date: July 28, 2023

Pika Fire

Location: Just west of North Dome 

Elevation: 7,100 feet

Discover date: June 29, 2023 

Size: 841 acres 

Containment: 40% 

Cause: Lightning 

Yosemite Fire crews are using a management strategy utilizing natural barriers and trails to confine the spread of the fire in a predefined area. A confine and contain strategy under favorable conditions allows fire to move naturally across the landscape, providing ecological benefits to plants and wildlife, while also meeting protection objectives to minimize risk to people and infrastructure.  

Fire management in Yosemite provides for the reduction of hazardous fuels, increasing the diversity of habitats, promoting new plant growth and a return of a natural fire cycle to the landscape.   

Crews are continuing to mop up and patrol. There are some interior islands that continue to burn. Smoke, heat, and hazard trees continue to threaten trails in the area, for this reason trails surrounding the areas of North Dome and Lehamite Creek will remain closed. 

Fire crews are working to mitigate hazards to reopen trails early next week. Areas of unburned fuel remain active northwest of North Dome. Crews will remain onsite to ensure the fire stays within the current perimeter and will continue to monitor for the coming weeks.  

Smoke from the Pika Fire is expected to impact Yosemite Valley in the evenings and overnight with conditions improving as smoke lifts during the late mornings. Impacts may also be seen in the trails in the park and surrounding communities of Foresta, Groveland, El Portal, and Lee Vining". 

For current smoke conditions: nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/aqmonitoring.htm 

Current Fire Conditions INCIWEB: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/caynp-pika-fire