A main road to Yosemite that has been shut down since last week by a large wildfire is expected to reopen Tuesday, officials said.
California 140 was expected to reopen at 6 a.m. because fire crews had made progress in beating back flames in the area, the U.S. Forest Service said. The highway had been closed since Thursday afternoon from about four miles east of Midpines to about four miles west of the park boundary.
Officials also were planning to lift an evacuation order Monday night that had affected about 300 people, most of them park service and concession employees, in the El Portal, Rancheria, Cedar Creek Lodge and Merced River campgrounds.
The blaze, known as the Motor fire, began along the Merced River on Thursday afternoon and had scorched about 5,230 acres of pine and brush by Monday evening, officials said. The blaze was 50% contained.
Fire officials credited a massive air assault that involved large tanker planes and helicopters that made repeated water and retardant drops with helping crews make progress in their efforts to battle the blaze.
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— Robert J. Lopez
Photo: Crews work a fire line during the Motor fire. Credit: U.S. Forest Service
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