Dome, Yosemite

Dome, Yosemite National Park, NPS. CIMT (CA Team 4). One mile north of Wawona, CA. Timber, brush and medium slash. Minimal fire behavior with spotting, creeping and smoldering.

October 10, 2026 at 8:04 AM CAUTION: Glacier Point Road reopened on Saturday, October 10, at 7 am. Please drive carefully and watch for firefighters working along the road. 

OPERATIONAL UPDATE: 

Yesterday was another successful day on the Dome Fire. All control lines held, and there was no additional growth. Fire activity remained minimal. Crews pushed hard and successfully completed critical fireline on the east side ahead of the windy conditions expected this weekend. 

The fire will be wind‑tested this afternoon with south winds forecast at 15–25 mph, gusting to 32 mph. 

Firefighters will continue tactical patrol and are prepared to address potential spot fires outside of established control lines. Crews will focus on holding existing control lines while staying clear of hazard trees left from previous fires. As always, firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. 

WEATHER: 

A low pressure trough will spin over the area Sunday through Tuesday leading to breezy to windy southerly winds Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will trend colder with highs in the 40s and 50s and lows in the upper 20s, 30s, and lower 40s. Partly cloudy skies Saturday will become mostly cloudy Sunday with rain likely later in the day.  

October 8, 2026 at 8:07 AM The Dome Fire has stayed within its current footprint thanks to firefighters’ steady work reinforcing containment lines. Additional crews continue to arrive and join suppression efforts, focusing on heavy dead and downed fuels that are still burning in the interior.

Within the 2017 Empire Fire burn scar, tree-felling modules have been brought in to remove standing dead trees, which remain a constant hazard to crews working below. On the east side of the fire, firefighters are building direct hand line along the fire’s edge wherever conditions allow.

Mule teams are also playing a key role, supporting wildland firefighters in the southeast as they work to push farther north. In just over a week, the mule string completed 106 loads, moving 12,237 pounds of cargo in and out of the field.

WEATHER:

Warm and dry conditions will continue through Thursday, with afternoon temperatures in the 70s and low relative humidity. Terrain-driven winds are expected to remain generally light through Thursday.

AIR QUALITY:

Smoke Outlooks with air quality and forecast information are available at:

https://fire.airnow.gov/#7/38.532/-119.416

CLOSURES:

Yosemite National Park is open and operating normally, with the following exceptions. Glacier Point Road is closed due to reduced visibility from smoke and to provide firefighters safe access for suppression operations. The road will reopen when conditions allow. There are currently no imminent threats to infrastructure. The Four Mile Trail and Panorama Trail remain open, providing access to Glacier Point. Alder Creek Trail is open north to the Deer Camp Trailhead. Chilnualna Falls Trail is open from the trailhead east to Chilnualna Fall and Crescent Lake. All trails within the active fire footprint are currently closed, including all south and eastbound trails accessed from Glacier Point Road. Buena Vista Trail also remains closed at this time. The current Dome Fire Safety Closure Map is available at: https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/closures.htm

October 4, 2026 at 9:03 AM Fire activity increased yesterday as temperatures remained well above normal and conditions stayed dry. Resources were able to limit growth on the spot fires to the northeast with support from aircraft and firefighters on the ground. The most significant increase in fire behavior occurred in the southeast, where both fixed‑wing aircraft and helicopters were used to reinforce suppression efforts. Today, crews will be constructing additional handline on the eastern side and continue addressing the spot fires from previous days. Firefighters will continue structure protection measures at the Ostrander ski hut including the installation of structure wrap. Patrol and mop up continue in the north and south, and crews will continue direct line construction on the west side.  

WEATHER: 

Partly cloudy skies are likely Sunday as weak low-pressure brushes by to the northwest. Mostly sunny skies are expected Monday and Tuesday. Warm and dry conditions will continue with highs mostly in the 70s and relative humidities are likely to come up slightly with minimums mostly in the 20-30% range. 

AIR QUALITY: 

Smoke Outlooks with air quality and forecast information are available at:  

https://fire.airnow.gov/#7/38.532/-119.416

CLOSURES: 

Yosemite National Park is open and operating normally, with the following exceptions. Glacier Point Road is closed due to reduced visibility from 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. Backpackers already parked overnight at Glacier Point will be allowed to exit after the closure begins. The Chilnualna Falls trail, as well as the trails from the top of Chilnualna Falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes are closed. Ostrander Trail and all areas and trails south of it are closed. The closure order includes Mono Meadow and Buena Vista trails. The current Dome Fire Safety Closure Map is available at: https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/closures.htm  

DRONES AND AVIATION SAFETY: 

Unauthorized drones can force firefighting aircraft to stop flying, delay suppression efforts, and allow 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.  

September 23, 2026 at 9:32 AM 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 pattern.

September 20, 2026 at 11:44 AM The Dome Fire was active overnight, spreading 283 acres to the northern edges of the fire and continues to grow into the 2017 Empire Fire footprint. There are three areas of concern that firefighters will prioritize today: a spot fire east of Turner Meadow, a spot fire in Empire Meadows, and isolated hot spots identified last night near the Chilnualna Falls area.
Ground and air resources are continuing efforts to fully suppress the fire as we continue to fly hotshot crews into the 2017 Empire footprint. Crews are continuing to improve and create direct hand lines in steep rugged terrain and going direct in Bridal veil and Alder Creek drainages utilizing natural barriers where possible. Helicopters assigned to the fire continue to support firefighters with water drops, supplies and transportation.
Heavy fuel conditions continue to pose challenges for ground-based suppression resources as they continue to utilize natural barriers such as granite outcroppings and bare areas in the northwest flank. Fire is moving through red fir fuel type which is conducive to spotting and susceptible to burning.

WEATHER:
A weak weather system will move into the region today, helping to spread widespread mid-and high-level clouds across the area. Light morning drainage winds will become southwest at around 6 to 10 mph in the afternoon, along with a few gusts to around 15 mph on the exposed ridges. Morning inversion is expected to lift by late morning, but due to increased cloud cover and less potential for mixing, the inversion may not lift until early afternoon. High temperatures will be in the upper 50s to lower 60s, with relative humidity dropping into the low to mid-30s.

September 17, 2026 at 5:07 PM The Dome Fire remained active overnight with most activity being on the west and north flanks of the fire. Numerous spot fires continue to be well out ahead to the north of the fire due to gusty, ridge winds from the south and southeast. Some spot fires are in areas with no fire history while others are creeping and smoldering in the 2017 Empire Fire footprint. Visible smoke and good to unhealthy air quality is expected today as the fire continues to burn through grass, brush, and timber fuels.

Today, ground crews will continue constructing direct handlines and looking for opportunities to tie the fire into previous fire footprints and granite features. Three more hotshot crews will be flown into the fire today to reinforce work on the fire perimeter from the heel of the fire and working up to the eastern flank. Helicopters will continue water drops throughout the day.

Weather:
Today’s weather pattern will deliver similar winds but with cooler temperatures and low and mid-level cloud later throughout the fire area. Expect some wind gusts during the late afternoon to early evening of 15-25 mph. Due to significant elevation change over small distances near the fire, firefighters expect to see some moderation from the predicted forecast

There are no immediate threats to infrastructures or developed areas. 

Temporary trail closure: 

The Chilnualna Falls trail, as well as the trails from the top of Chilnualna Falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes. These lakes are reachable from the east. Yosemite Public Information Map. 

A Complex Incident Management Team is enroute and will assume command of the fire at 6:00PM on 9/17.

September 17, 2026 at 7:49 AM

The Dome fire continues to have a moderate rate of spread to the north and northeast as it runs up-slope aligned with terrain and wind. The fire is burning through grass, brush, and timber fuels, resulting in visible smoke from the Wawona Road (Highway 41). The fire is in the wilderness and difficult to access due to steep, rugged terrain. Today, fire crews and air resources continued their efforts to fully suppress the fire. Air quality remained in the good to moderate levels in Wawona and Yosemite Valley.

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 towards Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes, are closed due to the Dome Fire. (These lakes are reachable from the east.)