Two helicopter crew members died fighting the blaze before the road was shut.
Greg King and Ryan Cutter, employees of aerospace contractor Fly Precision, were killed September 20 when their aircraft crashed in Mariposa County shortly before 3 p.m., the FAA confirmed. The chopper went down while supporting aerial operations against the Dome Fire, which erupted north of Wawona Dome near the Chilnualna Falls Trailhead on September 15.
“We are devastated by this loss and are struggling to find the words,” Fly Precision said in a statement. “We ask for privacy and compassion for their families and our team as we grieve this tremendous loss.”
As of Thursday, the fire had scorched more than 4,000 acres and was 15 percent contained, according to CalFire. The blaze has pushed into terrain previously burned by the 2017 Empire Fire, where reduced vegetation has slowed its advance to creeping and smoldering conditions in spots.
Embers carried by winds ahead of the main fire have still ignited spot fires to the north, keeping crews busy on multiple fronts. Firefighters are attacking the Dome Fire from both the air and ground.
Officials closed the 16-mile Glacier Point Road on Wednesday night, cutting off access to one of Yosemite’s most celebrated overlooks. The route connects Wawona Road—the continuation of Highway 41 from Fresno—to Glacier Point, where visitors normally take in sweeping views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls.
Smoke from the wildfire had slashed visibility along the road, prompting the closure to protect drivers and create safer conditions for firefighting operations in the area. Air quality in portions of the park has swung to unhealthy levels at times.
Several trails south of Glacier Point Road have also been shut. The National Park website lists closures on the Chilnualna Falls Trail and the routes toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes.
The Four Mile Trail and Panorama Trail remain open to hikers, officials said. The rest of Yosemite National Park is still welcoming visitors despite the fire activity in its southern reaches.
Glacier Point Road will stay closed until conditions improve, park officials said, with no firm timeline offered for reopening the scenic byway.
The September 15 ignition of the Dome Fire came amid another active California fire season, with crews already stretched across multiple large incidents statewide. The crash that killed King and Cutter marked one of the season’s most somber moments for the aviation teams that routinely fly into smoke-filled canyons to slow advancing flames.
CalFire noted that the fire’s push into old burn scars has at least offered some tactical advantage, limiting the intensity of fire behavior in those zones even as spot fires complicate containment efforts elsewhere on the perimeter.
Visitors planning Yosemite trips should check the park’s website for current trail and road status before traveling, as conditions may shift with fire activity and weather.