By admin 
Officials have expanded the closure area inside Yosemite National Park, as the Dome Fire continues to burn near its southern entrance.
Read more Is Yosemite National Park still open for tourists? Closures expand as Dome Fire spreads
It is moving to the north and east and is now burning inside the footprint of 2017’s Empire Fire.
According to NPS.gov, the park is experiencing “minor operational impacts” from the wildfire, which has burned 3,222 acres and caused the deaths of two fire-fighting personnel since the blaze started last Tuesday. The closure area now runs from Wawona, north to the Badger Pass Ski Area and Glacier Point Road and from Wawona Road (Hwy 41), east to Chinquapin.
The area, and all trails within, are closed to travel and public use and the park service is warning guests of fire hazards, including:
• Falling limbs, snags (dead standing trees) and fire-damaged trees
• Burning logs and stump holes
• Possible smoke conditions, which can cause respiratory problems
• Poor visibility
• Hot ash and unseen hazards
Notice will be posted, and the area “monitored to ensure compliance,” according to the park service.
It is not clear the exact trails affected by the closures. The fire started near the Chilnualna Falls trailhead and that trail has been closed since the fire began on Tuesday. Several trails at the top of Chilnualna Falls leading to Buena Vista and Crescent lakes have also been closed, though the lakes are accessible from the east, according to the park service. And the Ostrander Trail near the Mono Meadows trailhead is closed, along with “all areas and trails south of it,” according to the park service.
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A full map of the closure area can be seen online.
Yosemite’s southern entrance remains open, along with Wawona Road (Highway 41), which offers access to popular sites in Yosemite Valley. The Arch Rock Entrance from Highway 140 is also open for those traveling to see El Capitan, Home Dome and the like.
The Dome Fire started Sept. 15 in the backcountry just north of Chilnualna Falls, with flames and smoke plumes quickly visible from Wawona Road. The fire is currently spreading at a “moderate rate,” and is 15% contained, according to official incident updates.
Helicopter crash kills two
On Sunday, two pilots with Precision Aerospace were killed when their helicopter crashed near Mariposa during firefighting operations. The deaths were confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration and in a statement from Fly Precision
The crash was not included in Dome Fire’s official update Monday morning, but officials later confirmed that the remains of the pilots had been recovered and would be carried in procession through Mariposa to Modesto, where they would be transported to final destinations.
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