Dome Fire

Perimeter mapped September 19, 2026 at 3:50 PM PDT, 2,384 acres (ir image interpretation). Point of origin 37.566, -119.616.

Live radar at the fire Forecast for Yosemite Valley

Size

2,384 acres

Containment

15%

Discovered

September 15, 2026 at 8:28 AM PDT

Cause

Undetermined

Location

1 Miles N from Wawona, CA

County

Mariposa County

State

California

Nearest city reported

Wawona

Protecting agency

NPS

Jurisdiction

NPS

Land ownership at origin

NPS

Personnel assigned

525

Incident management

Complex Incident Management Team, Type 1 Incident

Primary fuel

Timber (Litter and Understory)

Estimated cost to date

$3,300,000

Incident type

Wildfire

Unique fire identifier

2026-CAYNP-000100

IRWIN identifier

AACFD673-4C1B-4CDF-B9DD-128E34BD7272

Mapped area at the last perimeter of each day, from September 15, 2026 (100 acres) to September 19, 2026 (2,384 acres). The largest one-day growth was 1,077 acres, mapped September 16, 2026.

• Wind up to 5 mph from the east-southeast
• Relative humidity as low as 27%
• High of 66°F

National Weather Service hourly forecast for the fire’s point of origin, next 24 hours.

Full forecast for Yosemite Valley, CA

Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches covering the fire's point of origin.

No Red Flag Warning or Fire Weather Watch is in force at the fire.

NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System analysts have not drawn smoke over the fire’s origin today.

NOAA’s smoke model forecasts near-surface smoke at the origin peaking at 270.4 µg/m³ around Sun, 4:00 PM PDT over the next 48 hours, above the 35 µg/m³ level of EPA’s 24-hour fine particle standard.

Smoke and fire layers on the radar

Posted on InciWeb, updated September 19, 2026.

Public Information Map (Pdf) | Daily Update (pdf) | Yosemite NP Air Quality / AirNow Smoke Monitoring | Yosemite National Park Facebook Page The Dome Fire was reported on the morning of September 15, 2026. It is in the backcountry and located approximately 1/4 mile north of Chilnualna Falls and is visible from the Wawona Road (Highway 41). Fire activity: The fire grew 149 acres overnight, and continued to slowly burn through thicker stands of high mortality timber stringers. Containment remains at 15%. The Dome Fire continues to move towards the old and existing fire perimeters of the 2017 Empire and South Fork Fires. These are expected to help slow the growth of the fire. Structure protection: Special structure protection groups are in place to be prepared to defend the areas of Badger Pass, Wawona, and Yosemite West should the need arise. Contingency groups are also in place. Crews: Four helispots have been constructed to help facilitate crew insertions, direct line construction and provide logistical support for existing and additional arriving hotshot crews, highly trained fire crews used mainly to build fireline by hand. Three crews were inserted via helicopter yesterday, and six more have been ordered or are enroute. Crews are remaining on the fire line so they can stay engaged and reduce travel times to the fire. These crews are being supported with water, food, and equipment via helicopter. Suppression: While firefighter and public safety remain our primary concern, the Dome Fire continues to be fought as a full suppression fire utilizing direct extinguishing tactics. Air operations: Smoke impacts will cause poor visibility and will delay flight operations until late morning. Smoke will impact views of the valley until the inversion lifts. A total of nine helicopters, including water-dropping and crew-transport aircraft, are supporting the fire. For crew safety, Yosemite National Park’s Helicopter 551 is available for short-haul, along with a hoist ship and Rapid Extraction Modules (REMs). Weather: Warm temperature and dry conditions will continue across the area through the weekend. A weak weather system will push into the area, bringing clouds but no anticipated precipitation. Temperatures will be slightly cooler compared to yesterday, with little change in humidity. Typical winds are expected over the next several days. Bear awareness: Bears are more active, and the smell of smoke can remind them of cooking food. Store all food and trash properly, keep 100 yards from bears, and never feed wildlife. Incident command post: The current incident command post is at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. Please be aware of additional fire-related traffic in and around the area for the next week. Smoke Impacts / Air Quality: Today we will enjoy a day of GOOD air quality in El Portal, Mariposa, and Tuolumne Meadows. Hodgdon Meadow will likely stay in the MODERATE range for most of the day. Visitors to Yosemite Valley may experience brief periods of light smoke this afternoon, but otherwise air quality will be MODERATE, similar to yesterday. The UNHEALTHY air quality that Wawona is experiencing this morning should improve to MODERATE by the afternoon, but smoke returns this evening. View current Air Quality Monitoring at https://fire.airnow.gov/#7/38.532/-119.416 Temporary Trail Closure: Yosemite National Park is open and operating normally, with the following exception. The Chilnualna Falls trail, as well as the trails from the top of Chilnualna Falls toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes, are closed due to the Dome Fire (these lakes are reachable from the east.) The closed area also extends east of the Wawona Road from Wawona to Chinquapin, as seen on the public information map: https://arcg.is/z5HLC4. View the full Closure OrderSince 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with more than 318 million visitors every year. But our work doesn't stop there. We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close-to-home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun.

Original at InciWeb

• Yosemite Valley, CA12 miles north of the fire’s origin
• Ahwahnee, CA15 miles southwest of the fire’s origin
• Oakhurst, CA17 miles south of the fire’s origin
• Midpines, CA17 miles west of the fire’s origin
• Mariposa, CA20 miles west of the fire’s origin
• Coarsegold, CA22 miles south of the fire’s origin