Yosemite's Dome Fire has burned for over a week in national park. Here’s what to know

The Dome Fire has been burning slowly through Yosemite National Park’s backcountry since mid-September, growing to more than 4,250 acres and forcing trail, road (and airport) closures near the park’s southern entrance in Maripsoa County.

The blaze has also claimed the lives of two helicopter pilots.

The cause remains under investigation, with the National Park Service looking for evidence of an unauthorized campfire as a possible culprit.

Here’s a full breakdown of the Dome Fire and its affects on Yosemite so far

• The Dome Fire was first reported Sept. 15, burning less than a mile north of Chilnualna Falls. At the time, smoke was visible from Wawona Road and its plume could be seen rising within the sight line of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley.
• Two Fly Precision pilots were killed Sept. 20, when their Eurocopter AS32 helicoper crashed during firefighting operations. The pilots were later identified as Greg King (a pilot from Alaska) and Ryan Cutter (a resident of Park City, Utah and former news-copter pilot). They were conducting water drops out of Ostrander Lake when the crash occurred.
• Officials hinted at a potential cause of the fire, and asked anyone who was near Chilnualna Falls between Sept. 9-15 to submit tips, especially if they saw an unregulated campfire. Fire restrictions have been in place at elevations at or below 8,000 feet since Aug. 1. Futher temporary fire restrictions are currently in place.
• Park officials closed an area of Yosemite from Wawona, north to the Badger Pass Ski Area and Glacier Point Road, and from Wawona Road east to Chinquapin. The Chilnualna Falls trail and others leading to Buena Vista and Crescent lakes are closed.
• That closure has grown to include Glacier Point Road, which closed to public traffic at 6 p.m. Sept. 23, due to smoke, reduced visibility and the abundance of firefighting personnel on the road. The Four Mile and Panorama trails to Glacier Point overlook remain open to hikers.
• The Mariposa-Yosemite Airport closed under temporary flight restrictions as the fire topped 4,000 acres on Thursday. The closure was prompted in part by heavy helicopter traffic supporting firefighting efforts nearby. Public information officer Benjamin Cossel said on Thursday, fuels are “receptive” but the fire is “extremely slow growing.”

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written by Joshua Tehee, Anthony Galaviz and Gagandeep Singh.

This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 12:41 PM.