The raging wildfire in Yosemite National Park led to temperatures soaring to 120F, and people have been told to vacate all campsites and lodges and leave the area Yosemite Valley area immediately. This is the tourist season and they are a disappointed lot. Firefighters are struggling to contain the fire and smoke has affected visibility.
Daily Mail UK reports that Yosemite Valley will be closed until at least Sunday. A park spokesman, Scott Gediman, has said that a 20-mile stretch of State Route 41 will also be closed to traffic. He added that “this is the prime visitor season, so this wasn't an easy decision to make.” The last time the 7.5-mile-long valley was closed was in 1990, also because of fire.
Yosemite Valley is being closed due to wildfire for the first time in 28 years. At least 1000 camping & hotel reservations are cancelled for tomorrow thru Sunday. #FergusonFire #YosemiteFire
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation) July 24, 2018
Business will suffer due to the wildfire
Yosemite Valley is a tourist’s paradise attracting millions of visitors every year. It boasts many landmarks but, the glacial valley is covered by smoke from the Ferguson Fire. Officials said that there was no imminent danger from the fire as such, but the decision for closure was taken to allow crews to undertake protective measures. The fire has been burning for nearly two weeks, and more than 3,300 firefighters have been at the scene but hardly 25 percent has been contained.
The closure of these areas of the Yosemite National Park will affect business because many campground and hotel bookings will be canceled. There will also be a loss of revenue from day visitors, for park workers and small businesses along the highway.
Fire and heat are not confined to California at the moment. There are heatwaves in different parts of the world with England recording temperatures 90 degrees range while Sweden is facing the hottest summer in over a century.
In Southern California, it is around 100 degrees in some parts and is near the 115-degree mark in Saudi Arabia. In Japan, heat stroke has taken many lives. Tokyo has recorded highs of 105 degrees.
Checking the spread of wildfire is a priority
According to the Huffington Post, Yosemite Valley is an important tourist destination in California and visitors arrive in large numbers to see the waterfalls and granite giants Half Dome and El Capitan.
However, the wildfire has resulted in low visibility as the park is covered in smoke. The blaze has covered more than 36,000 acres and has been burning since July 13.
In order to check the spread of the wildfire, it is necessary to create containment lines and get close to the source of the fire. However, the rugged terrain is believed to be posing problems for the firefighters. The cause of the fire is still not established.
