A wildfire is burning at Yosemite National Park putting the famed giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove in danger.

As a result of the fire, which has currently burned more than 2,300 acres of the park, Yosemite has announced both entry and road closures as well as mandatory evacuations in certain areas. The fires are threatening properties around the southern Wawona area in addition to the park’s iconic giant sequoias.

The northern sections of Yosemite remain fully open for visitors, although smoke from the fire is affecting air quality and visibility.

Here’s what you need to know about the Yosemite fire and its impact on travel there (as well as some safety advice for planning national parks trips during this summer of repeated natural disasters).

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The Washburn fire is currently burning across 2,340 acres and is “0% contained,” according to Yosemite’s Incident Overview update on July 11. In other words, no firm perimeters have been established to limit the fire area, so it’s a very fluid and rapidly changing situation.

Yosemite’s South Entrance is closed to all but emergency firefighting traffic, as is Highway 41 (Wawona Road) which traverses the southern area of the park.

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for the entire Wawona area in the far southern region of the park; this applies to the Wawona Hotel as well as private residences and rental properties around Wawona.

The giant sequoias at Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove are getting special attention from firefighters. Workers have installed sprinkler systems near the trees to raise the humidity in the grove and provide a damp protective area in the undergrowth. They are also operating bulldozers to clear out brush and deadwood that may provide fuel for the expanding fire.

Visitors can still access the northern areas of Yosemite, which remain fully open (to visitors with reservations, at least), and the entrances on the western and eastern sides of the park are operating under normal conditions. However, traffic is likely to occur at these entrances due to rerouted traffic from the southern entrance, park officials warn.

The main Yosemite Valley area — which includes popular spots such as Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan — is fully open. Even so, smoke is obscuring views, and it may pose a breathing problem to some visitors, particularly those hiking at high elevations on challenging terrain.

As of the morning of July 11, Yosemite Valley’s air quality index was 158, according to the Purple Air tracking system. This means “some members of the general public may experience health effects with 24 hours of exposure; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.”

Yosemite’s southern areas closer to the fire earned a Purple Air rating of more than 300 — an off-the-charts level indicating “emergency conditions.” People should avoid the area, or visit only with breathing protection gear. (So, those KN95 masks you stocked up on during the COVID-19 pandemic can serve as helpful filters for breathing in smoky areas.)

Video: Yosemite fire grows as crews try to protect iconic giant sequoias (The Independent)

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The weather is, unfortunately, likely to contribute to the fire’s spread: Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue around Yosemite through the week, with the local weather station reporting temperatures in the mid to high 80s and humidity below 30%. Winds are fortunately light at this time, although changing directions may make the spread of smoke over the rest of the park unpredictable.

If you’re planning a trip to Yosemite, check in regularly with the park planning website, or @Yosemitefire on Twitter, both of which provide the latest alerts about the fire and park area closures.

Related: A beginner’s guide to visiting Yosemite National Park

Yosemite’s wildfire is just the latest in a series of natural disasters at national parks in the U.S.

Yellowstone National Park recently closed due to serious floods last month. The park has almost fully reopened, save for its northern entrances which remain closed to most traffic. Full road repairs in that section are not expected to be completed until early winter.

Wildfires shut down significant sections of Yosemite in 2018 which resulted in mandatory tourist evacuations. Nearly annual California wildfires in the region have affected the park’s air quality, occasionally making hiking difficult and obscuring the views for which the park is famous.

While there’s nothing you can do to prevent torrential rainstorms, lightning-sparked wildfires or other natural disasters, you can help engage in mindful practices during your visits to protect the environment and yourself. The National Park Service outlines 10 essentials for visitor safety and provides tips for preparing for variable weather — with particular guidelines for safe practices when hiking during extreme summer heat.

When preparing for a trip to a national park (or any outdoor destination prone to wildfires, flooding or other natural disasters), there are also some general steps you can take to protect your trip investment.

Airbnb took some heat recently after guests received little or no warning of wildfires near rental areas; these visitors then faced challenges getting refunds. While some hotels and vacation rentals have refund policies in place if mandatory road closures or area evacuations prevent guests from accessing a property, cancellation due to poor air quality is a gray area.

Travel insurance can provide peace of mind and financial protection in case you have to cancel your travel plans, but some policies may exclude natural disasters. Even if they do cover for natural disasters, they may not cover your trip costs if you cancel due to disaster-related reasons like poor air quality or lack of activities due to damage. So, be sure to read the insurance policy’s fine print, or invest the extra money for a cancel for any reason policy.

Particularly when traveling to areas with ongoing problems (or high-risk or remote areas), come prepared and stay connected for updates. While this may be difficult to do — particularly in remote areas with little cellphone coverage — try your best to regularly review alerts from national parks, local police and highway alert programs (via Twitter or their websites). In Yosemite’s case, @YosemiteFire is a good source for the latest conditions. Regular updates are also broadcast on local radio stations, which may provide coverage when cellphones don’t. When arriving in parks, be sure to check in at the visitor center or ranger stations to get personal updates from staff on the ground there. Also, take the opportunity to connect with other travelers to ask what they’ve been seeing and hearing.

Related: 7 things to look for when buying travel insurance

Featured photo by Artur Debat/Getty Images.

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