SAN FRANCISCO — The deaths of two people who fell from a popular Yosemite National Park overlook were being investigated Friday by park officials who were still working to recover the bodies. Visitors can walk to the edge of a vertigo-inducing granite ledge without railings that has become a popular...
2 Die After Falling From Overlook in Yosemite National Park
SAN FRANCISCO — Two visitors died in a fall from a popular overlook at Yosemite National Park, an official said. Park rangers were trying to recover the bodies of a man and a woman Thursday, spokesman Scott Gediman said. He didn't say when the couple fell from Taft Point, which...
Israeli Teen Falls to Death in Yosemite National Park
SAN FRANCISCO — An Israeli teenager visiting Yosemite National Park in California fell hundreds of feet to his death while hiking near the top of an iconic waterfall. The Mariposa County coroner's office said 18-year-old Tomer Frankfurter of Jerusalem was near the top of Nevada Fall when he fell. Assistant...
Cars Packed With Visitors Line Up to See Yosemite Valley
Hikers and nature lovers returned to Yosemite National Park's scenic valley Tuesday after a rare 20-day closure because of smoke from wildfires. Some said they didn't mind the hazy air that obscured scenic vistas; others came prepared with eye drops and face masks. Park officials also advised visitors to expect...
Yosemite Valley Closure Costs $50M in Lost Tourism. It Is Now Open.
The reopening of iconic Yosemite Valley, a favorite destination of tourists worldwide, is finally here for Douglas Shaw. A 20-day closure during peak tourist season at one of the busiest parks in the U.S. cost Shaw $200,000 in lost revenue at his hotel just outside Yosemite National Park. Most of...
Yosemite Valley Will Reopen Tuesday. Fire 80% Contained.
National Parks officials announced Friday that Yosemite Valley will reopen to visitors 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14. In addition, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias will be back open Monday. Yosemite Valley has been shuttered since July 25 because of the Ferguson Fire. "We'd like to express our sincere gratitude...
Ferguson Fire 80% Contained. Crews Protect Yosemite Valley.
Having contained 80% of the Ferguson Fire, the team battling the biggest blaze in Sierra National Forest history is focused on keeping the flames out of iconic Yosemite Valley, officials said Friday morning. "The final piece that must be secured remains between El Portal Road and Wawona Road," states the Ferguson...
Ferguson Fire Now the Biggest in Sierra National Forest History
Officials overseeing the effort against the deadly Ferguson Fire said Monday morning that it is the largest wildfire in Sierra National Forest history. The fire has grown to 91,502 acres and is 38% contained, officials said. There have been two fatalities and 11 injuries. Ten structures have been destroyed. In...
Northern California Cyclone of Flames Hit 143 MPH
Experts say a deadly Northern California wildfire burned so hot at its peak that it created a cyclone of flames that reached 143 mph, ripping through the region with the force of a destructive Midwest tornado. National Weather Service meteorologist Duane Dykema said Friday that the blaze still burning near...
Wildfires Scorching Homes, Land and California's Budget
Just a month into the budget year, California has already spent more than one-quarter of its annual fire budget, at least $125 million, state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Mike Mohler said Wednesday. Following years of drought and a summer of record-breaking heat, immense tracts of forests, chaparral...