Fall Prescribed Burn Update:

Yosemite National Park recently completed two prescribed burns.

Both burns are in Yosemite Valley. YV-4 is immediately east of Bridalveil Meadow. YV-15 is east of the El Capitan Picnic Area. Both units are north of the Merced River adjacent to Northside Drive. Both units have been burned in the past and are comprised primarily of ponderosa pine and other mixed conifers.

Fire has a natural role in maintaining healthy ecosystems in Yosemite. Prescribed fire is designed to thin forests and reduce unnatural fuel loads in areas that are in close proximity to public and private structures as well as visitor use areas. Prescribed fires help provide important community protection, as well as create a mosaic of diverse habitats for plants and animals. Fire helps recycle nutrients to the soil which aids the sprouting and re-growth of plants, shrubs, and trees.