Yosemite’s Growing Pika Fire Is Example of Beneficial Wildfire

Yosemite fire crews are using a confine-and-contain strategy with Pika Fire, allowing it to move naturally and provide ecological benefits, according to Monday’s incident update.

The fire is now at 818 acres with some isolated active pockets northwest of North Dome in Yosemite National Park. The North Dome Trail is closed, as is a trail that takes hikers toward Indian Rock.

Forty personnel are assigned to contain the wildfire and minimize the risk to people and structures, the incident report states. The projected containment date is July 30.

Lightning ignited the fire on the morning of June 29.

You can view Tuesday’s air quality and smoke forecast for Yosemite at this link.

A view of the Pika Fire on July 15, 2023. (National Parks Service/M.Ruggiero)