YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Dense smoke from a wildfire burning in and around Yosemite National Park on Saturday hampered both suppression efforts and the prized views sought by holiday weekend tourists.
For the first time since the blaze sparked in a neighboring forest two weeks ago, smoke obscured Yosemite Valley, home to the park’s most popular landmarks, said spokeswoman Kari Cobb.
“I’m in Yosemite Valley right now, and I cannot see the cliffs around me,” Cobb said. “The wind has shifted, and smoke is impacting the entire park. We have been lucky until now.”
Firefighting aircraft were grounded because of low visibility caused by the smoke, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Mark Healey. The blaze had scorched 343 square miles of brush, oaks and pines and 11 homes, as of Saturday. The blaze’s cause is under investigation. The Associated Press
