“Please leave the area immediately,” officials said. “Use Wawona Road (Hwy 41) northbound to Yosemite Valley. Southbound traffic is closed at Wawona Golf Course.” As of 5 p.m. Friday, the Washburn Fire has burned 466 acres, up from 250 acres to start the day. Park spokesman Scott Gediman told SFGATE Friday morning that the flames reached Mariposa Grove’s famous Lower Grove. There are no details yet on the extent of damage to the grove, which remains closed until further notice. The firefighters are not limited to the fire. A view of the Washburn Fire, Friday, July 8, 2022, currently burning in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove, an area known as the largest grove of giant redwoods in the park. Yosemite Fire & Aviation According to the park service, the fire started around 2 a.m. Thursday near the Washburn Trail and is burning in an area of ”mixed timber with significant dead/damaged” trees. Current evacuation orders cover the Mariposa Grove area, Wawona, a small community of more than 100 people, and Wawona Campground, which has about 100 campsites. The fire is also causing road closures in the area, so visitors should check before driving to the park. An evacuation map can be found here. One of the most popular visitor attractions in Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove has more than 500 mature giant sequoias. Giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world and the grove contains trees that can be thousands of years old. One of the most famous trees, the towering Grizzly Giant, is estimated to be 2,700 years old. Mariposa Grove was previously closed for three years, from 2015 to 2018, for a $40 million restoration project. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley Grant Act, protecting the land, including Mariposa Grove, for the public and future generations. The bill would inspire what would become the National Park System. The Washburn Fire burned inside Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park ALSO READ: Smoke from Washburn Fire in Yosemite headed for Tahoe The causes of the fire are being investigated. You can check AlertWildfire’s live cameras to follow the progress of the fire. This is a developing story and information will be added as it becomes available.
