Big Meadow Fire in Yosemite | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Fresno, CA The Big Meadow Fire will make it difficult to travel to Yosemite this Labor Day weekend. The Crane Flat and Tamarack Flat campgrounds remain closed as a precaution along with Tioga Pass Road which is closed between White Wolf and the Crane Flat Gas Station.

Those closures will remain in effect through the Labor Day weekend, but the park itself will be open.

The wildfire has burned more than 7,425 acres and is now 86-percent contained.

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Current Situation:Thursday firefighters completed fireline near the Tamarack Flat Campground Road. Smoke conditions in Yosemite Valley, foothill communities and other areas of the park are improving significantly. Friday firefighters will continue restoring trails and fireline to their natural condition, mopping up hot spots, and removing hazard trees in order to open the roads as soon as possible.

Although road closures will remain in place through the Labor Day weekend, Yosemite Valley is open and accessible from Highway 140 via El Portal and Highway 41 from Wawona. In addition, visitors on the east side of the park can still access Tuolumne Meadows, Olmsted Point, and White Wolf via Highway 395 from Lee Vining. Hodgdon Meadow Campground remains open to visitors.

Special Announcements: The evacuation order for the community of Foresta will be lifted at 10:00 AM Friday, September 4, 2009. Residents and property owners with proof of residency or ownership will be allowed unrestricted access to private property and unburned areas in the immediate vicinity of Foresta.

If you are attending the Strawberry Festival at Camp Mather this weekend, please use the Evergreen Road. The Cherry Oil Road is closed through Monday due to traffic accessing fire camp at Drew Meadow.

UPDATE: Big Meadow Fire in Yosemite