Wildfires are tearing through Yosemite National Park and the photos look like a post-apocalyptic nightmare
More than 3,000 firefighters have been working around the clock to control the Ferguson Fire, which has been ravaging the Yosemite National Park area for nearly two weeks.
The 38,000-acre fire has forced authorities to close four areas of the park as of Wednesday morning: Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Mariposa Grove, and Merced Grove.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
On top of that, thick smoke is limiting the effectiveness of helicopters and airplanes fighting from above.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
This is the typical view of El Capitan, a famous Yosemite rock formation, on a clear day.
Source: Getty Images
Many of the areas where the fire is raging are inaccessible by road, making the firefighters' task even more daunting.
One firefighter, 36-year-old Braden Varney of Mariposa, California, was killed fighting the blaze the night of July 14.
Source: The Modesto Bee
Inmate firefighters from California state prisons have been enlisted to clear brush to create fire breaks — strips of open land that fires can't cross.
Source: NBC News
The closures come at a terrible time for Yosemite: July is peak tourism season, and between hotels, tent cabins, and campgrounds, the park can expect to cancel about 1,000 reservations.
Source: Los Angeles Times
"This is the prime visitor season, so this wasn’t an easy decision to make," park spokesman Scott Gediman told USA Today. "This was purely for safety’s sake."
Source: USA Today
The evacuated areas are expected to reopen July 29.
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