🔥 CAYNP Dome Fire
Description
Last updated: 2026-09-24 --- 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: 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 Dome Fire increased 194 acres from yesterday. Wildland firefighters made progress connecting handlines to the Bridalveil Creek trail system and 2017 Empire Fire footprint. Crews continue to widen handlines in the Empire Meadows and Horse Ridge areas. Wildland firefighters are continuing to place contingency lines off of Glacier Point Road. There are no imminent threats to infrastructure. The Mariposa-Yosemite Airport is closed to general aviation traffic. Mule pack strings and helicopters are providing crews with supplies and backhaul. An additional pack string is set to support crews working in the Bridalveil Creek trail system, staging at the campground. Structure firefighters continue to support Wawona and Yosemite West communities. Weather: Tomorrow brings warmer weather and dryer conditions. Transport winds will increase slightly, from 10mph to 15mph on average moving southwest. With these conditions, increased spotting is possible. Ignition probability in receptive fuel beds (areas with heavy dead, down trees) is at 65%. August rain in the Bridalveil Creek drainage will make smaller fuels resistant to fire spread. Larger fuel types are still susceptible to spotting behaviors.Temporary Trail Closure: 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 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 extends east of the Wawona Road from Wawona to Chinquapin, as seen on the public information map.  View the full Closure Order, and Closure Order MapSmoke Impacts / Air Quality: Periods of UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS this morning inWawona and Yosemite Valley, with smoke clearing in the afternoon. Mariposa and Hodgdon Meadow are expected to experience mostly MODERATE air quality, while El Portal is 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 Managing 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