MSGID: 1:317/3 62cf0845   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   July 13, 2022 - Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park   
      
      Fires in Yosemite   
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      On the afternoon of July 7, 2022, a fire was spotted burning near the   
      Washburn Trail in the Mariposa Grove area of Yosemite National Park,   
      California, triggering a rapid full-attack response from firefighters.   
      With 1,045 personnel active, the Washburn file has grown to 3,516 Acres   
      as of July 12 and is 17 percent contained. The cause is under   
      investigation, but the Yosemite Superintendent has been quoted as   
      explaining that the Washburn Fire is considered a “human start”, as   
      there was no lightning on the day it ignited.   
      
      The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board   
      NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Washburn fire   
      on July 11. Large red hot spots mark the area where the thermal bands   
      on the instrument detected high temperatures. Combined with the copious   
      gray smoke, which rises and blows northwestward from the scene, the hot   
      spots represent the location of the actively burning fire.   
      
      According to a report published on InciWeb Incident Information System   
      on the evening of July 12, “The area in which the fire is burning   
      contains a very heavy accumulation of fuels (trees in various forms and   
      stages) on the ground as well as part of the understory. This old   
      growth habitat is a combination of dead large diameter trees and timber   
      litter on the ground (many feet thick in some cases) in combination   
      with thick growing conifers and shrubs, much of which has been largely   
      untouched for many decades. The more than 500 mature giant sequoias of   
      the Mariposa Grove are adjacent to these fuels and have so far avoided   
      serious damage from the Washburn Fire. Most of these trees are over   
      2000 years old and have experienced fire many times throughout their   
      lives.”   
      
      Giant sequoias are equipped with a thick and fire-resistant bark,   
      making them able to survive low intensity blazes. The trees also   
      require intermittent fire for reproduction—the seeds only germinate   
      after a fire. Fire also clears the underbrush and competitive plants,   
      creating fertile soil that allows seeds to take root.   
      
      The fire and response activity has caused closure of part of Wawona   
      Road (Highway 41) and the Mariposa Grove until further notice. Some   
      residents of the town on Wawona have had to evacuate. Most of the park   
      remains open to visitors, but heavy smoke may be experienced at times.   
      
      Weather plays an important role in fire suppression or growth.   
      Unfortunately, hot, dry weather is expected to continue in the region   
      for the next several days. This will result in active to very active   
      fire behavior in heavy dead and down fuels. Growth of the fire,   
      especially on the east flank, is to be expected in the short term,   
      despite full-suppression efforts. Some of the large trees, such as the   
      Grizzly Giant, do have sprinkler systems already in place, and this   
      should assist in protecting at least individual trees.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 7/11/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (71.5 KB),  500m (238.9 KB),  250m (699.5   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-07-13   
       
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