A group of tourists are shown last week at Tunnel View, where smoke from the Dome Fire is visible. The fire information board at the location gave visitors an understanding of the fire and its impacts. Photo by Mark Ruggiero
Tragedy struck this past weekend when two helicopter pilots died after their chopper crashed while fighting the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park.
The Dome Fire is a stubborn blaze that has grown to more than 3,300 acres and is burning in rugged terrain with thick brush and many dead trees from the bark beetle infestation.
A national incident command team was established a week or so after the fire began on Sept. 15 near Wawona. The headquarters for the command team are located at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. The fire has also meant an onslaught of helicopters coming from around the country.
The helicopter that crashed on Sunday was from Fly Precision, a private contracting company based in McMinville, Ore. However, media reports indicate it was from Crane Valley Helitek, which is a company that contracts with the U.S. Forest Service and is based in Idaho.
Benjamin Cossel, a public information officer with California Incident Management Team 3, said on Monday morning the chopper crashed in rugged terrain. By around noon on Monday, the bodies of the two pilots were recovered.
This was the smoke cloud above the now-closed Wawona Hotel last week. The Dome Fire continues to burn in rugged country inside of Yosemite National Park. Photo by Mark Ruggiero
The crash occurred at 1:58 p.m. on Saturday, said Cossel.
The bodies were flown by helicopter to the Mariposa Yosemite Airport, where they were then transferred to ground vehicles and taken to Modesto.
On Monday evening, the company identified the pilots as Greg King of Palmer, Alaska, and Ryan Cutter of Park City, Utah.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were both expected to be investigating the incident.
Cossel said the helicopter had been dipping for water at Ostrander Lake but crashed closer to the fire in extremely rugged terrain. It was southeast of the lake where the chopper went down.
A stand down of flights was ordered following the crash. It was not known when flights would resume. There had been a parade of helicopters attacking the fire.
Cossel also said a secondary fire camp was being established at Badger Ski Area, located along Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park. That was expected to be established by Monday afternoon though the camp at the fairgrounds will remain operational as the main headquarters.
The planned Yosemite Mariposa Goddess Festival, which was set for next weekend, has canceled because of the fire camp at the fairgrounds.
In addition, the first home game for the Mariposa County High School Grizzlies football team has now been moved to the lower field at the high school.
Games are usually played at the Gold Bowl at the fairgrounds. (See page B-2 for more details.)
The fire and investigation
As of Monday, the Dome Fire was more than 3,100 acres and officials listed it as 15 percent contained. It began on Sept. 15 in the backcountry located about a quarter-mile north of Chilnualna Falls.
On Sunday night, the blaze spread further into the 2017 Empire Fire footprint and a spot fire to the east continued to grow, officials said.
As the fire moves north, officials said more spot fires are possible because of the heavy dead and down fuels in the area.
One issue related to the park is whether the fire could cause the closure of Glacier Point Road.
On Monday morning, Cossel said that scenario was not likely, though he added fires are unpredictable and anything is possible. It was about two miles from the popular roadway that leads to Glacier Point, one of the most visited places in Yosemite.
Crews continued to battle the fire in the areas of Turner Ridge and Empire Meadows, officials said. A mile of hose has been laid at the Ostrander trailhead. The Ostrander Trail is closed so that firefighters can work on Bridalveil Trail and Ostrander Trail as the primary contingency line to the north.
Teams are also continuing to provide structure firefighters at Yosemite West and Wawona “supporting local communities and continuing prep work and contingencies,” according to a report released Monday.
Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Yosemite National Park officials did send out a message on Monday evening indicating a camp fire might have been involved.
Park officials asked anyone who was on the trail from Sept. 9-15 and “witnessed anyone with a campfire” to contact the National Park Service.
The tip line is (888) 653-0009, the online contact is go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or email nps_ isb@nps.gov. O
Officials noted that since Aug. 1, fire restrictions for 8,000 feet and below have been in effect.
Park impacts
Other than some trail closures, Yosemite National Park remains open and operating normally, though there are smoke impacts in many places.
The Chilnualna Falls Trail, as well as the trails from the top of Chilnualna Falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent lakes, are closed because of the Dome Fire.
The closed area also extends east of the Wawona Road from Wawona to Chinquapin.
The smoke impacts vary with the wind. On some days, there is heavier smoke in Yosemite Valley while on others, it is less.
In Wawona, the small town located along Highway 41, the smoke impacts have been steady and unhealthy for sensitive groups most of the time, according to information provided by fire officials.
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