Yosemite Fire Information – Update # 10

Jack Fire
11-08-07
Credit: Nancy Robbins

November 13, 2007

A brief moist, cool system moved over the Park over the weekend bringing some moisture to the Devil and Jack Fires in Yosemite National Park. The precipitation dampened fire activity, but did not put the fires out. The Jack Fire (300 acres) is located on the north and south sides of Turner Ridge north of Wawona and the Devil Fire (170 acres) is east of the Tamarack Trail near Cascade Creek. Both fires were started by lightning Oct. 29.

The Devil Fire is being managed under a wildland fire use management response while alternative management actions are being taken on the Jack Fire. Fire managers must balance the use of fire for resource benefits with fire suppression to protect life and property. The Jack Fire north of Wawona is burning in an area that has not burned in the park’s history in hazardous overgrown vegetation. As the fire continues to back down the ridge slowly, fire personnel are working to construct fire line in areas that will inhibit future fire spread if necessary. At a public meeting held in Wawona Monday fire managers explained to community members that the prevailing conditions, shorter daylight hours, cooler nights and elevated moisture levels in the vegetation, are conducive to managing these fires until the weather puts them out. The fires this year in Lake Tahoe and Southern California are a reminder that is important to use fire as an ecological restoration tool as well as to create defensible space around fire prone communities.

Jack Fire – The 300 acre Jack Fire is 10 percent contained. It started by lightning Oct. 29 and was placed under a wildland fire use management event until it spread outside the fire use management zone on Nov. 8. The north half of the fire will be allowed to continue its progression in the wilderness, while fire personnel construct holding lines south of the fire. There are 106 personnel and two helicopters dedicated to the Jack Fire. Helicopters will be used to drop water on hot spots if necessary.

Devil Fire – The Devil Fire (about 170 acres) is located east of the Tamarack Trail, between Tamarack Flat Campground and the Tamarack Trail footbridge crossing at Cascade Creek. Some personnel were released from the incident Monday. Personnel will continue to monitor fire spread, record weather and take smoke observations as the fire naturally progresses across the wilderness landscape.

Cotton Fire – The Cotton is considered out at one quarter acre approximately 3.5 miles east of the Hetch Hetchy Ranger Station, near Cottonwood Meadow. No further information will be reported

Johnson – The Johnson fire is considered out at 0.1 acre 4 miles northeast of Wawona, near Crescent Lake. No further information will be reported.

Closures: Three trails have been closed for public safety. On the Jack Fire, the trail from the Wawona Ranger Office to the junction with the Alder Creek Trail and the Mosquito Creek Junction approximately 5 miles north to Alder Creek Falls. On the Devil Fire, the trail between Tamarack Flat Campground and the top of El Capitan on the Valley Rim Trail is closed.

Air quality: Generally, air quality has been in the good to moderate category. For more information visit the Interagency Real Time Smoke Monitoring website, http://www.satguard.com/usfs/fleet.aspx.

Please call Fire Information at 209-375-9572, for photos and maps visit http://www.inciweb.org or the park website, http://www.nps.gov/yose/fire.