Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Smoke from Sierra fire reaches Yosemite Valley


Reuters: United States Forest Service

Monterey firefighters hold the line at the Rim Fire near Yosemite in this undated handout photo released Friday.

AP 6 hr ago Associated Press

Firefighting aircraft are grounded because of low visibility caused
by the smoke from the wildfire around Yosemite National Park.

FRESNO, Calif. — Smoke from a wildfire in and around Yosemite National Park is hampering both suppression efforts and the views sought by holiday weekend tourists.

Park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said smoke from the 2-week-old blaze obscured Yosemite Valley for the first time Saturday. The valley is home to the park's most popular landmarks.

Related: Sierra fire causes some fearful tourists to cancel
http://news.msn.com/us/sierra-fire-causes-some-fearful-tourists-to-cancel


Reuters: United States Forest Service

A tanker drops retardant on the Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park in California in this undated handout photo released on Friday.

Weather forecasts indicate that the dense blanket could stick around until Monday.

Meanwhile, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Mark Healey says firefighting aircraft remained grounded Saturday morning because of low visibility caused by the smoke.

Healey says officials are concerned about a 150-acre spot fire that crossed a road and prompted an evacuation order for homes near the west entrance of Yosemite.

As of Saturday, the entire wildfire has burned 343 square miles, up from 333 square miles a day earlier.

Related: Squelching Sierra fires left forest ready to burn
http://news.msn.com/us/squelching-sierra-fires-left-forest-ready-to-burn


Reuters: United States Forest Service

This U.S. Forest Service handout photo released Friday shows the Rim Fire burning at night near Yosemite National Park in California

http://news.msn.com/us/smoke-from-sierra-fire-reaches-yosemite-valley