The Washburn Fire is spreading quickly near the bottom of Mariposa Grove and has burned 466 acres as of 5 p.m. Friday. A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for the community of Wawona and the Wawona Campground. The Highway 41 entrance to the park is now closed, so people evacuating Wawona should head north to Yosemite Valley. Update: Mandatory evacuation order for Wawona community & Wawona Campground due to Washburn fire. Please leave the area immediately. Wawona Road (Hwy 41) is open in both directions. See the map at https://t.co/p599c2GrqV — Caltrans District 10 (@CaltransDist10) July 8, 2022 Shelter is available at Mariposa New Life Church, located at 5089 Cole Road. Park officials say Mariposa Grove and Mariposa Grove Road are closed until further notice. The fire sent smoke billowing into the skies above Yosemite on Friday, a sight visitors described as eerie. Many continued their vacations, but it was not the typical Yosemite experience. “You get out here in nature to get away from the busy traffic and there are airplanes flying, there are helicopters flying by,” said Dennis and Shelly Farrington, who were visiting Arizona. Officials say the first call came in just after 2 a.m. Thursday. Crews jumped into action with a full initial attack, working through the night. On Thursday and Friday, hundreds of firefighters on the ground cut lines and planes in the air dropped retardant, all to contain the flames. National Park Service crews were also out wrapping the towering Sequoia trees, hoping to protect them from the flames if the fire gets any closer. Park officials warned drivers not to be distracted by the smoke. “We have wildlife and we have people everywhere – just really watch the speed limits, look for firefighters, look for equipment, look for animals in the road and just be safe,” said Nancy Phillipe, Yosemite fire education specialist. Authorities say the cause of the fire is under investigation. NOTE: The video above is from an earlier story and will be updated. Copyright © 2022 KFSN-TV. All rights reserved.
