Brush Blaze Outside Yosemite Grows to 700 Acres Ahead of Holiday Rush

Flames erupted Thursday just south of Mono City, sending plumes over sapphire-blue Mono Lake and forcing every resident of the 200-person community to pack up and leave. By Friday the Inn Fire had crawled past 700 acres, chewing through sagebrush while downed power lines and helicoptered-in utility poles kept Highway 395—eastern California’s main artery—closed to traffic and tourists alike.

Fire crews concentrated on the blaze’s north flank, where smoldering embers crept toward town. Air tankers painted ridgelines red with retardant while choppers shuttled water from Mono and Lundy Lakes, trying to corral a fire that could still lurch forward if weekend winds or dry thunderstorms flare up. Officials say progress is steady, yet they’re racing the clock: Memorial Day crowds were expected at Mono Lake and nearby Bodie State Historic Park, now shrouded in haze and the sharp scent of smoke.

With Yosemite just a scenic drive away, the region banks on holiday visitors, but evacuation orders and a 54 percent containment line have cast doubt on picnic plans. Weather forecasters predict lighter breezes overnight—welcome news after 35-mph gusts fanned the initial run—but sporadic winds up to 20 mph and possible lightning Saturday could rewrite the playbook. For now, firefighters, residents, and would-be sightseers wait to see whether the sage-covered hills stay quiet or ignite anew.