Tourists have been ordered to leave Yosemite Valley due to poor air quality from the nearby Ferguson wildfire. Visitors will have to be out of hotels, campgrounds and visitor centers by noon.
“They told us they were closing the park and kicking everybody out of the campground," visitor Laurie Walker said "And we said, ‘Is this because of the air quality?’ And they said, ‘Yeah.’ But, as we were driving out you can see the fire burning on the ridge.”
Firefighters also are evacuating the park to obtain unencumbered access to roadways, and to possibly use buildings and lodging.
The Mariposa County Health Department made the recommendation to the National Park Service after air quality reached unhealthy levels, and is expected to stay there through the weekend.
Up-to-date information on Ferguson Fire evacuations can be found here.
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
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