Communities on the east and west side of Yosemite have benefited several times since 2006 when rockslides blocked access on Highway 140 out of Mariposa. Today, fire blocks access on the sides of the park and tourists are being rerouted through Mariposa or Oakhurst.
The Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau says smoke from the fire has not gone into the popular parts of the park.
“The air quality index in the valley floor is literally unaffected," says the bureau's Terry Selk. "We're monitoring it regularly, and all operations are open and operating. Highway 140 and 41 routes are completely open. Accommodations are available.”
Selk says the visitors center in Mariposa has been much busier since the start of the fire.
"Certainly I would expect that restaurants and some of the shops are probably being able to capture some increased traffic because of people stopping in the town, trying to figure out you know what they are going to be doing, how they are getting into the park, you know, those kinds of things,"
Selk says vacation rentals, rustic resorts, and bed and breakfasts are all receiving calls for room availability, but no cancellations.
They can likely expect even more calls as people arrive in town for the Mariposa County Fair this weekend
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