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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 27, 2008 - 03:41am PT
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Hoping for the best for those with homes there (including some climber buds)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gwSSrT7-LciDlr1tYmyE9e19oX9QD925VLF00
Calif. fire threatens homes near Yosemite Valley
3 hours ago
MIDPINES, Calif. (AP) — A growing wildfire has forced the evacuations of 170 homes near the main entrance road to Yosemite National Park and is threatening more, fire officials said Saturday.
The blaze grew from about 1,000 acres to around 16,000 acres, or 25 square miles, between Saturday morning and evening, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It is burning on both sides of a steep, rugged canyon along the Merced River.
"The erratic behavior is because there is so much fuel out there to burn," Berlant said.
In Northern California, authorities said a firefighter died after being struck by a tree. Andrew Jackson Palmer was struck Friday while working on the Eagle Fire near Junction City, about 50 miles west of Redding.
Palmer died while en route to a hospital, said Steve Ritchie, a spokesman for the Redding-area fire command center. He had been based in Port Angeles, Wash.
Near Yosemite Valley, most of the evacuated homes are in the town of Midpines, but more homes in other small towns are being asked to prepare to leave the area, state fire spokeswoman Karen Guillemin said.
In all, about 2,000 homes are threatened, officials said.
Midpines is on Highway 140, the thoroughfare that leads to the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. Campers on nearby Bureau of Land Management land were evacuated as a precaution.
Guillemin said the cause of the fire, first reported Friday, was target shooting, but would not elaborate.
Fire crews on Saturday were being flown into the hard-to-reach area.
Guillemin said the weather was not helpful, with temperatures over 100 degrees and low humidity. The weather, coupled with a wilderness area filled with tinder dry fuel, has made for an extremely dangerous fire.
"Dozers are trying to push dirt as fast as they can to get safety zones for our firefighters that are out there," she said. "Crews are cutting brush as fast as they can but it's an extremely dangerous situation at this point."
The California National Guard planned to send two Blackhawk helicopters equipped with 660-gallon water buckets on Sunday, guard Capt. Al Bosco said.
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Jul 27, 2008 - 03:53am PT
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Oh no, What will all those tweakers do!
I hope Denise's property is ok! Noie and Bill also!
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Jul 27, 2008 - 10:35am PT
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whoa.. that fire was at 1000 acres yesterday morning. Now it is 16,000 acres. That is fast.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Jul 27, 2008 - 10:36am PT
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Thanks for posting this scary news Karl, lots of friends have homes there, hope they are okay...
Peter
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Jul 27, 2008 - 01:25pm PT
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This is bad. It actually made headlines on Drudge this morning. That story said it has grown to 25 sq miles and they had to cut power to the park. Anyone have more details?
Ed
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mastadon
Trad climber
Tahoe
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Jul 27, 2008 - 01:44pm PT
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I just talked to someone in El Portal who said that the fire knocked out main power lines to El Portal and Yosemite Valley. They said, and this is second hand, that the park was closed. They said the fire started somewhere between 49, south of Mariposa, and 140.
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nita
climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
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Jul 27, 2008 - 02:02pm PT
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Scary!!... The fires in my area are almost contained, sadly - three families I know lost their homes........ Damn, Cal fire folks are not getting any breaks.... Hoping ....
Mastadon, i saw your Sister-in -law and Dave Hitchcock at a music festival last weekend... very cool ;-)
you know you never picked your prize....
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jul 27, 2008 - 02:07pm PT
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hey there peter, or ken... say, what area (in regards to the fire) is lynda's el portal home in (the one with the huge rock, in front)...
how about mark's place and yosemite west area, as regards to the fire??
and ken, how about you?
hope well turn out well.. .god bless all.... will chip in and pray.... very hard-time stuff...
edit.. say, there.. thanks much, melissa...
*also, domingo, thanks for the rumor-or-not update
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Jul 27, 2008 - 02:32pm PT
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neebee, I think the fire has a long ways to go to get to Lynda's or Mark's.
Still...I'm hoping for the best for everyone who is affected.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
sunlight on the surf
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Jul 27, 2008 - 02:46pm PT
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good luck to all involved.
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scabang
climber
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Jul 27, 2008 - 04:25pm PT
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Target shooting? Dumb phuck as#@&%es!
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Jul 27, 2008 - 04:34pm PT
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Just to help stop the rumor mill:
-Yosemite National Park is not closed, nor is the 140. A lot of tourists have left because of the terrible air quality/visibility and complete lack of power.
-The power complexes were not destroyed by the fire; instead, power was cut to protect firefighters doing their jobs near the lines.
-For necessary things (radio communications, SAR, etc.), there's generators running in the Valley. I've also been told government computers in El Portal still have power.
-All of Midpines has been evacuated, and that affects many Park Service employees. At least 15 homes have been destroyed. According to CalFire, one firefighter has died. El Portal has not been evacuated.
-If you know someone in El Portal/The Valley/Yosemite West, the land line phones do still work but ONLY if they don't use a cordless.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 27, 2008 - 04:36pm PT
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It doesn't appear that the park has been closed yet. It took a bit of effort to find, but there is information on the YNP website, at http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/2008fire.htm It seems to have been updated this morning, but if the park was closed, I'd guess the NPS would have more things to worry about than updating the website. Especially with weekend busy-ness, and Sunday traffic leaving.
The YNP website doesn't show any of the roads as being closed, but that part doesn't seem to have been updated recently. I wouldn't be surprised if 140 was closed, or at least very slow, and the other routes badly jammed.
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Jul 27, 2008 - 06:09pm PT
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Domingo -- excellent update. Thank you.
Those firefighters are absolute bad-assed freakin heros. Hats off to them for doing what they do, and prayers for the safety of those battling the fire and those affected by it.
Ed
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Jul 27, 2008 - 11:22pm PT
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Piton Ron must be in the neighborhood.
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