🔥 CAYNP Dome Fire
Description
Last updated: 2026-09-21 --- 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.Fire activity and Behavior: The Dome Fire continued to spread at a moderate rate of growth. Last night, the Dome Fire spread further into the 2017 Empire Fire footprint and the spot fire to the east grew. As the fire moves north into the footprint, heavy dead and down fuels will be receptive to spotting. Fire behavior will remain moderate, with spotting behavior being a big challenge in the full suppression efforts of this fire.Weather: Cloudy conditions will continue today, with a chance of precipitation along the crest and an opportunity of thunderstorms beginning at 11 AM. The chance of rain greater than a 10th of an inch is less than 20% Winds are likely to move southwest or west through the afternoon with a shift to the northeast as storms move through around 4:00 PM.Crews: Wildland firefighters in the Turner Ridge and Empire Meadows zones will continue to improve handlines as the west flank experiences higher wind impacts. A mile of hose has been laid at the Ostrander trailhead and wildland fire crews continue to make improvements. The Ostrander Trail is closed so that firefighters can work on Bridalveil Trail and Ostrander Trail as the primary contingency line to the north. Structure: We continue to stage structure firefighters at Yosemite West and Wawona, supporting local communities and continuing prep work and contingencies.Smoke Impacts / Air Quality:  Today, can expect mostly MODERATE air quality across the Park, including Hodgdon Meadow and Tuolumne Meadows. However, Yosemite Valley will experience slightly worse air quality compared to yesterday, with UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS conditions overall. Wawona's proximity to the fire will keep its air quality in the UNHEALTHY FORSENSITIVE GROUPS range with possible periods of UNHEALTHY, gradually improving overnight. Skies will also be hazy for most of the day, impairing distant views. Mariposa stays clear of the smoke, so expect another day of GOOD air quality 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 MapDrones 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; a Temporary Flight Restrictions are posted at https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=list . 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 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.Since 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 6, 2026
Reported by
Trail Conditions Bot
Sep 22, 2026