FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At the Fresno Air Attack base, the U.S. Forest Service is standing by, ready to assist in the fight against the Ferguson Fire. "Our role so far has been just supporting the fire with the aircraft coming through moving up to the area of the fire," said base commander John Harpain.Harpain says planes and helicopters will fly to air bases closer to the fire such as Castle or Columbia, or a helibase in Mariposa, and then onto the fire.Harpain showed us what the aerial attack looked like on Wednesday afternoon. "You see a lot of the rotor wing aircraft flying the fire right now," Harpain said. "Due to the smoke conditions, a lot of the fixed wing are not quite able to get in there yet with the limited visibility. Generally in the afternoon once the smoke lifts, it's much easier to get all of the aircraft in on the fire. "Fresno-based Rogers Helicopters has had two water-dropping helicopters and one fixed-wing plane assigned to the Ferguson Fire since its start.Aerial operations were called off later Wednesday afternoon, and have been limited overall due to thick smoke and poor visibility.But crews are flying when they can.In a tweet, Call Fire said, "Helicopter air support provide a valuable asset in helping suppress fire activity on the fire lines. "The Mariposa County Department of Public Health has also shared some information about protecting yourself from this smoke.They say stay inside, make sure you have a clean air conditioning filter, and keep your windows closed.<doc-sep>YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. -- If you're heading up to Yosemite National Park, be prepared for what you're about to see, which may not be much.Air quality in the area has reached unhealthy levels thanks to smoke coming from the nearby Ferguson Fire Pam Austin from Iowa described the experience. "We've seen a lot of smoke. The smell of smoke. Our clothes smell like smoke; we smell like smoke," she said.Many travelers left the national park disappointed Tuesday after the thick layer of haze prevented them from enjoying Yosemite's full potential of picturesque views.Barney Farley was visiting the area along with his family from Missouri. "We've been planning on coming here for years. A little disappointing, but, like I said, we're here," shared Farley.The smoke is not expected to subside anytime soon as the Ferguson Fire continues to burn west of the park.Campsites and hiking trails remain open in the park, while, officials said, restaurants and hotels haven't seen a drop off since smoke shifted into the area Sunday.Therese Williams from Visit Yosemite advised that tourists come through Highway 41. "Restaurants are still open; everything is still open. I think that it is important to get the message out that we are open for business. "That is of little consolation for Mohammed Ahmed and his family, who made the cross-country trip from Virginia. "It is not that easy to cancel very last minute," he said. "We all have vacation planned, so it is not that easy to do that kind of stuff."<doc-sep>After claiming one life, burning 1,250 acres and shutting down a road into Yosemite National Park, the Ferguson fire continued on Tuesday to spread out of control. The fire comes at the peak of tourist season, but so far the nearby blaze and the smoke it’s depositing in the Valley haven’t stopped visitors from flocking to this iconic destination. And as they stream in and out, taking in the views and braving the park’s extensive network of hiking trails, a corps of wildfire watchers, environmental activists, news photographers and government employees, have been documenting Yosemite Summer of Smoke. Related Articles Map: Yosemite wildfire perimeter and evacuations Fire turns Yosemite National Park smoky, hurts businesses Yosemite to tourists: We’re still open for business There are now 1,500 firefighters battling the Ferguson, which started Friday night in the Merced River Canyon. The fire remains 5 percent contained. Here’s a sampling from their online postings, photographic and video postcards from the edge: The AP posted this time-lapse video from the Yosemite Conservancy showing the smoke from the Ferguson Fire now burning at the western edge of Yosemite National Park: Self-styled YouTube newscaster Mary Greeley put together this ”report” on the Ferguson Fire. And while it’s little more than a collection of already-published photos and mainstream news articles, Greeley brings her own unique take on the blaze. On her YouTube site, Greeley describes herself as a witness to the end of the world as we know it. ” I’m about real and interesting things going on in this world !! Dedicated to Watching the End Time Events that Lead to the Return of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Sign’s of coming end times events, Comets, Asteroids, Earth Quakes, Solar Flares and The End Time Powers.” Don’t knock her: At last count, Greeley’s videos have had more than 19 million views! Again, the self-styled correspondents behind the Real Thing TV channel on YouTube are basically doing what’s called a “rip and read” of already published material on the fire. But the photos do offer a nice glimpse of the flames now nipping at Yosemite’s heels and its attendant smoke wafting into the tourist-clogged valley: The news team at CBS47 in nearby Fresno has been all over this fire since it began. In another example of solid news-gathering, this report focuses on the firefighters battling the blaze and includes informative interviews with crew leaders as well as photos and video of the firefighters on the job: This time-lapse from Sierra Fire Watch, entitled “Ferguson Fire Blowing Up,” shows just that: a dramatic bloom of thick white smoke unfolding across a blue sky: A kid who calls himself “Crusher H2O” on his YouTube channel brings us this first-person, oh-my-gosh video look at black smoke rising from the nearby Ferguson Fire. Crusher says he’s taping it from Midpines, a small community nestled 12 miles southwest of El Portal in Mariposa County: Dramatic video, again from CBS47, showing aerial crews scooping huge buckets of water from the Merced River to dump on the Ferguson Fire: This video, posted on YouTube by the Merced Sun-Star, is notable for its close-up views of the daytime sky turned ominous by the fire’s smoke:<doc-sep>
RENO (CBS SF) — A heavy layer of smoke was draped over picturesque Lake Tahoe Friday, a reminder of the desperate battle being waged far to the south against the advancing Ferguson Fire which has grown to 22,892 acres. A thick haze also enveloped Reno where air officials told residents with lung issues to remain indoors. Meanwhile, a health advisory triggered by the smoke was issued for Northstar along Lake Tahoe’s north shore. Smoke from the #FergusonFire will be thick today for the Eastern Sierra, Tahoe Basin and Sierra Front of western Nevada. Expect poor air quality and visibility. Stay indoors if you are sensitive to smoke. pic.twitter.com/D6unrwioz2 — NWS Reno (@NWSReno) July 20, 2018 The wildfire — which broke out July 13 in steep and rugged terrain within Sierra National Forest in the southern Sierra near Yosemite National Park — continued its steady advance along Highway 140 toward the communities of Yosemite West and Jerseyville. There was just 7 percent containment and it still was a threat to more than 100 homes. While the blaze has yet to burn any structure, it has taken a major toll on the more than 2,700 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire and fire agency across California engaged in battling the blaze. Cal Fire heavy equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, was killed fighting the fire and two others have been injured. Cal fire said the fire was active overnight, particularly along Highway 140 near El Portal, along Pinoche Ridge, and on its southeastern corner. Crews working along the highway continued to bring fire slowly to the road, successfully strengthening lines on the South side of the Merced River. Firefighters were also intensifying their efforts around the community of Jerseydale where mandatory evacuations have been ordered. The weather also remained a primary concern Friday as thunderstorms remained in the forecast for the next few days with the gusty winds they produce. While the skies were smoky, Yosemite National Park remained open.