CHOKING

Yosemite Closes Indefinitely Due to Wildfire Smoke

Fires have scorched more than 5 million acres in California, Washington, and Oregon in recent weeks.

Yosemite National Park closed indefinitely on Thursday afternoon due to air quality concerns over the smoke from wildfires raging along the West Coast. Fires have scorched more than 5 million acres in California, Washington, and Oregon in recent weeks and enveloped wide swaths of the states in heavy smoke. The Creek Fire, sparked earlier this month, is burning 25 miles from the park, and photos have shown Yosemite’s famous valleys and granite outcroppings barely visible through the toxic haze. A statement from the park reads, “With air quality projected to be in the unhealthy to hazardous range over the next several days, the park anticipates the closure to be in effect at least throughout the weekend.” All of California’s 18 national forests have closed in response to the fires.