California Fires: What Travelers Need to Know

It’s been a record-setting year for wildfires in California, especially Northern California. Among three major blazes, one threatened Yosemite National Park and another became the largest in state history.

The Ferguson Fire was centered near Yosemite, which reopened Tuesday, welcome news in a state that generates $132 billion in travel spending.

“The fires affected about 700,000 acres of the 100 million acres in California,” said Caroline Beteta, the president and chief executive of Visit California, the state tourism office. “That’s less than 1 percent, largely in national forests with no tourism infrastructure.”

Following are updates on three major fires near popular tourist areas. Because conditions continue to change, visitors can check the fire map, which is frequently updated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, for information including road closures.

This fire started July 13 in the Sierra National Forest east of Yosemite National Park. The Ferguson Fire has burned over 96,800 acres, killed two and caused the national park to temporarily close.

On Tuesday, Yosemite reopened its tourist hub, Yosemite Valley, where two famed rock formations, Half Dome and El Capitan, are visible. In the south end of the park, the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees reopened Monday.

“Everything the everyday tourist would be looking to do, they can do again,” said Laura Wattles, a spokeswoman for the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau.

Lodging in the park also reopened, though the Victorian-era Big Trees Lodge near the Mariposa Grove will remain closed until Aug. 30. Aramark, the company that manages the hotel, has stated that anyone with a reservation during the closure will have their deposit refunded.

Even as its quells and air conditions improve, authorities expect the forest to continue to smolder, creating lingering smoke. The federally run Wildfire Air Quality Response Program forecasts moderate conditions for most of the park except for Yosemite Village. There, air quality is rated as between moderate and unhealthy, according to the site. It recommends that sensitive travelers reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.

The gateway communities around the park have started a social media campaign, using the hashtag #YosemiteNOW to show current conditions, and, Wattles said, “cool off some of the major headlines that could make people needlessly shy away from the destination.”

Sixty-seven percent contained as of Wednesday, the Carr Fire near Redding in northern Shasta County covers over 207,000 acres, including sections of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. In addition to many homes, it burned Whiskeytown National Recreation Area on Whiskeytown Lake, which is now closed indefinitely. Cal Fire has not predicted a containment date.

The area’s lakes, including Shasta and Trinity Lakes, are popular outdoor destinations for camping, hiking and boating. Most of the region’s tourist attractions, including Lassen Volcanic National Park, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, home to 129-foot Burney Falls, and Castle Crags State Park, with 6,000-foot granite spires, remain open.

Some areas closer to the fire, including Mount Shasta and Redding, are experiencing unhealthy smoke levels.

“We’re limiting the physical activity we do outside,” said Laurie Baker, the chief executive of Visit Redding and the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association, the tourism group covering eight of California’s northeastern counties. “Where we might go on a four-hour hike, we’re waiting, most of us, until September. By then the air quality should be fine.”

The largest fire in state history, according to Cal Fire, the Ranch fire in northern Mendocino, Lake and Colusa counties covers over 314,000 acres, most of it in Mendocino National Forest. It is 64 percent contained and still threatening Lake Pillsbury, where residents have been evacuated. Together with the smaller, fully contained River Fire nearby, it is also known as the Mendocino Complex fire, now nearly 364,000 acres.

Despite that name, much of the fire is in Lake County, home to Clear Lake, a popular bass-fishing destination and the largest natural lake in the state (the larger Lake Tahoe is shared with Nevada). About 110 miles northeast of San Francisco, it is a popular destination for boating, fishing and an emerging wine industry distinguished by sauvignon blanc.

“A good part of the Ranch Fire is in the wilderness area that does not impact our small communities,” said Melissa Fulton, the chief executive of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. Those include small towns and resorts around the lake.

The smoke outlook for much of the area remains moderate.

West of Lake County, Mendocino County is best known for its rugged coastline, part of California’s so-called Lost Coast, home to redwood forests and wineries. The county is roughly 4,000 square miles with a relatively sparse population of about 88,0000. The fire area is roughly 80 miles east of Mendocino, the popular coastal town.

“Our battle has been to remind people that Mendocino is a huge area and this is nowhere near anything visitors might encounter,” said Alison de Grassi, director of marketing and media for Visit Mendocino County, the county tourism board. “There are no walls of flame to drive through.”

Cal Fire predicts full containment of the Ranch Fire by Sept. 1.