🔥 CAYNP Dome Fire
Description
Last updated: 2026-09-23 --- The type of incident is Wildfire and involves the following unit(s) Yosemite National Park. --- State: California --- Coordinates: Latitude: 37° 33 58 Longitude: 119° 36 82 --- NOTE: All fire perimeters and points are approximations. --- Incident Overview: *** Glacier Point Road will close at 6 pm today, September 23, 2026. This public safety closure is a result of reduced visibility along the road due to smoke and to safely allow firefighting operations. There are no imminent threats to infrastructure. The Four Mile Trail and Panorama Trail, providing access to Glacier Point, will remain open to hikers. Glacier Point Road will reopen when conditions allow (this is not a season-ending closure). Call 209/372-0200 (then 1,1) for road updates in Yosemite.Backpackers already parked overnight at Glacier Point will be allowed to exit after the closure begins. Please also monitor https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteNPS/ for updates.***Mariposa-Yosemite Airport is currently closed to general civilian air traffic, including taxiing and engine runups.  This closure is due to heave helicopter traffic supporting fire operations in the area.  Please check https://mariposacounty.gov/86/Airport for updates to this closure. Public Information Map (Pdf)     |      Morning Update (pdf)     |     Yosemite NP Air Quality  / AirNow Smoke Monitoring    |    Yosemite National Park Facebook Page The Dome Fire was reported on the morning of September 15, 2026. It is in the backcountry and located approximately 1/4 mile north of Chilnualna Falls and is visible from the Wawona Road (Highway 41).   Learn why / what the Dome Fire is named after...    Naming Convention for Wildland Fires.Status:  The fire grew 273 acres since yesterday’s update, and 56 more personnel are now assigned.  Overnight, fire activity was along the north and northeast sides of the fire between Horse Ridge and Empire Meadows, in the old 2017 Empire Fire footprint.  On the east side near Horse Ridge, activity was light, with isolated pockets of fuel burning.  Today, fire behavior should be similar to a few days ago, when winds were also from the southwest.  Firefighters expect mostly surface fire, which lets crews work directly on the fire’s edge, except where wind and slope line up.Firefighters are widening containment lines between Empire Meadows and Turner Ridge, working from the top down and the bottom up.  Crews are doing the same work along the Bridalveil trail system to the 2017 Empire Fire footprint.  In addition to helicopters, pack strings are carrying supplies to firefighters on the fire line.A second fire camp is now set up at Badger Pass to support firefighters and cut travel time to the fire.  The Incident Command Post remains at Mariposa County Fairgrounds.Weather: It will be much drier today, with little to no cloud cover over the fire.  Temperatures will be a bot warmer, in the upper 60s, with relative humidity around 30%.  Winds came from the northwest yesterday and will shift to the southwest today, the normal patternSmoke Impacts / Air Quality: Periods of UNHEALTHY this morning in Wawona and Yosemite Valley, with smoke clearing in the afternoon. Mariposa and Hodgdon Meadow are expected to experience mostly MODERATE air quality, while El Portalis expected to see periods of UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS. Tuolumne Meadows will have GOOD air quality in the morning with periods of UNHEALTHY FORSENSITIVE GROUPS in the afternoon and evening. Smoke settling overnight in Wawona and Yosemite Valley.View current Air Quality Monitoring at https://fire.airnow.gov/#7/38.532/-119.416 Temporary Trail Closure:   Yosemite National Park is open and operating normally, with the following exception. The Chilnualna Falls trail, as well as the trails from the top of Chilnualna Falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes, are closed due to the Dome Fire (these lakes are reachable from the east.). Ostrander Trail and all areas and trails south of it are closed. The closed area also extends east of the Wawona Road from Wawona to Chinquapin, as seen on the public information map: https://arcg.is/z5HLC4.  View the full Closure Order, and Closure Order MapManaging Fire Impacts in Federal Wilderness.    While it is widely understood that motorized equipment such as off-highway vehicles, dozers, or other mechanized equipment are not allowed in wilderness, this requirement is also largely true when fighting fires in wilderness.  Chainsaws, small portable water pumps and similar equipment is often allowed to operate during active fires, but large, ground disturbing equipment is still prohibited.  Firefighters use other methods, called Minimal Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST) when fighting fires in Wilderness areas.  Read more .Drones and Aviation Safety:  A reminder: wildfires and drones don't mix.  Unauthorized drones can force firefighting aircraft to stop flying, delaying suppression efforts and allowing fires to grow. If you fly, we can't. Help protect firefighters, communities, and our nation's landscapes by keeping your drone away from wildfires.   Aviation resources "Own" the airspace around wildfires; the Temporary Flight Restriction for the Dome Fire is available at https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_4364  Know before you fly: https://knowbeforeyoufly.org/compliance.../avoid-wildfires/   Flight  Restriction Information https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/temporary_flight_restrictions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoG956VMCto  - Specific Message from FAA Regarding Drones and Wildfireshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4qTrh7ZSY0 – NIFC Wildfire Drone Safety Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5f4tH_HF4 What is a TFR – from a private drone YouTube page – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMy7ZzkhUJU – Federal Charges Brought against drone operator in California Palisades FireManagement Objectives Prioritize firefighter's and the public's safety through risk analysis and hazard mitigation. Minimize burned acres utilizing direct extinguishment tactics. Utilize resources where they can be most successful and ensure tactics have a high probability of success. Protect and minimize impacts to local communities. wilderness values, and cultural/natural resources. Provide timely and accurate public information.Yosemite Facelift® 2026The Yosemite Climbing Association Presents the Yosemite Facelift® 2026, September 23-27, 2026 within Yosemite National Park!Join thousands of volunteers for five days of stewardship, community, and celebration in one of the world's most iconic landscapes. More details at https://www.yosemiteclimbing.org/faceliftSince 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with more than 318 million visitors every year. But our work doesn't stop there.We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close-to-home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun. --- Source: InciWeb | http://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/caynp-dome-fire
Location
CA - Active Wildfire
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Details
Observed
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Auto-expires
October 8, 2026
Reported by
Trail Conditions Bot
Sep 24, 2026