Telegraph Fire

These images of the Telegraph Fire were taken by professional photographer Michael Frye.

Telegraph Fire Smoke from Panorama Trail on July 28, 2008

Sacramento Bee: Telegraph Fire as Reported on July 30, 2008

Toll of Telegraph fire continues to rise

By Niesha Lofing
July 30, 2008

The numbers associated with the Telegraph fire - acreage burned, containment, cost - are growing.

The fire burning in Mariposa County, about 12 miles west of Yosemite National Park, has consumed more than 32,000 acres. The fire is now 20 percent contained, according to a 7 a.m. update by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

It is one of several fires still burning in the state, large swaths of which were set ablaze nearly two months ago as fire season got an early start.

The Telegraph fire began Friday, sparked by a target shooter on private property. The firefighting effort now carries a price tag of nearly $14 million.

Twenty-one homes and 32 outbuildings have been destroyed. The fire continues to threaten 4,000 homes in several Mariposa County communities, Cal Fire states.

Mandatory evacuations are in place along roads that run between Mariposa, Midpines and Greeley Hill. Evacuation warnings also are in effect for portions of Mariposa, Midpines, Greeley Hill, Coulterville and Briceburg.

The fire also is causing closures along portions of Highway 140, which leads to the main entrance of Yosemite.

Photographs of Telegraph Fire Smoke

These two photographs were taken on the evening on Saturday, July 26th showing the smoke that had moved into Yosemite National Park from the nearby Telegraph Fire.

L.A. Times: Telegraph Fire as Reported on July 28, 2008

Telegraph fire destroys 12 homes near Yosemite

By Ari B. Bloomekatz and Scott Gold
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

July 28, 2008

MARIPOSA, CALIF. — A wildfire burning near one of the main entrances to Yosemite National Park destroyed at least 12 homes and 27 outbuildings in and near the town of Midpines, and burned more than 26,000 acres of brush and woodlands, authorities said Sunday.

With smoke and ashes blanketing much of the area, residents have been evacuated from nearly 500 homes, and authorities have cut power to the park.

Three firefighters had sustained minor injuries in the fire, which was 10% contained as of 8 p.m., according to Mike Mohler, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. About 2,000 homes could potentially be threatened.

The blaze, which has been dubbed the Telegraph fire, appeared to have begun late Friday when two men and two women went into remote woods to shoot rocks with a rifle, authorities said Sunday. A bullet, investigators said, may have fragmented on a rock and cast a spark into dry brush.

"This time of year, with the dry conditions, just one spark can become a large fire," fire agency spokesman Daniel Berlant said.

Mariposa County Sheriff Brian Muller said Sunday evening that officials had interviewed the people who were shooting. The man who fired the shot has provided a statement identifying himself to authorities.

No arrests had been made, but the investigation is still underway, he said. Though it does not appear that the shooting was illegal -- it appears to have been done on property owned by the family of one of the people present -- behavior that is deemed reckless could result in charges, Muller said. He declined to identify the four people who were present when the fire began.

"It wasn't intentional," Muller said. "But there could have been some negligence."

Temperatures neared 90 degrees Sunday and humidity was low. Many of the areas near the fire had not burned in a century, leaving a large amount of fuel lining the steep and rugged terrain. Firefighters reported 100-foot flames in some areas.

Vicki Currier, 53, who works at a boutique in Mariposa, said that when the fire started, it looked "as if an atomic bomb went off."

"It's scary," she said Sunday evening.

The flames were advancing Sunday evening on two fronts, one to the east and one to the south, toward Mariposa, which has about 1,800 residents and is the largest town in the area.

About 170 homes were evacuated in and around the town of Midpines, where about 600 people live. More than 300 homes were evacuated in French Camp, northwest of Mariposa, and in populated areas near Grosjean Road, Muller said. Briceburg, on California 140, is also in danger.

Some of the evacuated homes are only a mile and a half from Mariposa, Muller said.

"Right now, it's not looking too good," he said.

Many visitors pass through Mariposa en route to the western entrance of Yosemite, known as the Arch Rock entrance. Ash had been raining on the Mariposa area for more than a day, and the wind appeared poised to push the flames away from the park and into more populated areas, said Lori Mertens, an employee at the Mariposa County Visitors Center.

"It's coming toward town," Mertens said. "It's got people around here -- especially the evacuees -- very nervous."

The 2,000 or so firefighters were equipped with 189 engines and 39 bulldozers. Aircraft, including military cargo planes, were dropping flame retardant. Authorities said that as many as 1,800 firefighters could arrive soon.

The response to the fire is so rapid and fluid, firefighters "don't even check in," said Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. Gary Mosely. "They just get sent straight to the fire line."

To protect firefighters battling flames beneath power lines, electricity was cut to a wide area, including the national park.

But the fire had not spread inside the boundaries of the park, said Julie Chavez, a park interpreter. Visibility inside the park was reduced and air quality had suffered, Chavez said, but the park was open and almost all visitor facilities were running, with generators providing power as needed.

Park officials were unable Sunday to estimate the number of people inside the park. About 18,000 people, however, visit on a typical summer day.

Overall, 3 1/2 million people visited Yosemite in 2007. The 1,169-square-mile park was established in 1890.

Julie Hadzega, manager of the Mariposa Lodge, said the hotel was fully booked before the fire. She said some people had called to cancel their reservations because of the blaze, but fire officials and evacuees were expected to take any vacancies. Authorities also were hoping to let weary firefighters rest and bathe in dormitories at a conference center in nearby Oakhurst.

The historic Ahwahnee Hotel, which offers views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point, has been relying on a power generator since Saturday afternoon. But a hotel employee said most guests were staying put and for every canceled reservation, another quickly filled the spot. Hotel rooms are often reserved a year in advance.

"I'm just being totally honest about the air quality, which is not good for hiking, small children or people who have asthma," said Barbara Cash, the hotel's switchboard operator. "Otherwise, people are still here. They're having a good time. There's a lot of things going on in the park."

Cash acknowledged that the fire had made long hikes and clear pictures of Half Dome difficult. Even so, rafting and wading are still possible. "We still have a beautiful park. You can see lots of wildlife," Cash said. "If they're just coming here to stay in a historic hotel and they're not planning any major hiking or climbing excursions, then it's the right time to come."

Hannah Key, 18, began working as a National Park Service firefighter only last week -- and will be on the front lines of the fire this morning. Key lives in Mariposa and was evacuated from her home on Grosjean Road on Sunday morning. She grabbed her clothes, photo albums and sentimental possessions. The most important item, she said, was her only photograph of her father, who died in a motorcycle accident eight years ago.

"It's my first big fire," she said. "I'm nervous because it's my family -- my home, where I grew up -- that I'm defending."

Outside the River Rock Inn in Mariposa, 51-year-old Ken Manly of Midpines said he woke up at 3:30 a.m. Saturday to authorities scouring his neighborhood to tell residents that they might have to evacuate. About 12 hours later, "the wind shifted and it got really dark," Manly said. Authorities told him to leave.

He first went to a friend's house in Mariposa, but today the friends left, seeking a safer area.

"We don't know what to do," he said. "We can't go home, but we don't want to go too far."

Manly, an electrician, has lived in Midpines for 25 years.

"You have small fires occasionally," he said. "But not this."

Shelters for residents were open in Mariposa and Greeley Hill.

A firefighter died this weekend after being struck by a tree while fighting a separate blaze west of Redding.

Michael Frye Photographs to Increase in Price on August 1, 2008

Effective August 1st, 2008, photographer Michael Frye’s photograph prices will increase in price.

16x20’s will go from $285.00 to $325.00; 20x24’s from $425.00 to $475.00; 24x30’s from $650.00 to $750.00; and 30x40’s from $900.00 to $1,100.00. This includes all images from his daytime and high-key series. The nighttime series prices will stay the same.

To take advantage of the old pricing, be sure to place your photograph orders prior to August 1st. You can visit www.anseladams.com to view a selection of Michael’s work or email fineprints@anseladams.com to request a full inventory list.

Yosemite High Country Wildflowers

The Yosemite High Country has come to life with an abundance of wildflowers. Now is the time to travel to the park for numerous opportunities in wildflower photography.

Along the Glacier Point Road, photographers will love the flowers found in McGurk, Summit and Westfall Meadows. Those traveling along the 120 Highway will find lupine and other varieties in the meadows surrounding Crane Flat. And in Tuolumne Meadows, the sub-alpine flowers including elephant’s heads, pentstemon and shooting stars are beginning to emerge.

For best results when shooting wildflowers, photograph in soft light conditions including overcast days and in the shade.

Michael Frye "Contrast" Exhibition Closes July 15th

Photographer Michael Frye's exhibition Contrast at The Ansel Adams Gallery closes on July 15th, 2008. We invite you to visit the gallery during the exhibits final days to view these photographs depicting various interpretations of Yosemite's landscape.

Huangshan - Experience Yosemite's Sister Park Through Art and Adventure

In 2006, Yosemite National Park Superintendent Michael Tollefson and Huangshan Park Manager Cheng Yingfeng signed an agreement forming a cooperative alliance between Huangshan National Park in East China and Yosemite National Park. The purpose of the sister park relationship is to promote international cooperation through work with gateway communities, partner organizations and more that benefit both Yosemite and Huangshan.

The landscapes of both parks stir the imagination and have held the fascination of both artists and visitors alike. In 2007, Ansel Adams Gallery represented photographer Richard Lohmann traveled to China to produce work for his Mists of Huangshan portfolio. The photographs that Lohmann produced, which capture the gorgeous atmospheric conditions in the park, are available for sale at www.anseladams.com or by emailing fineprints@anseladams.com.

For those desiring to visit Huangshan, Yosemite Association is sponsoring an 11-day journey that will include hiking, naturalizing and meeting pandas with park staff in Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou National Parks and the Wolong Panda Reserve. Through this trip you will be able to experience peaks that have been famed in literature for two thousands years, glacial valleys with astonishing waterfalls, and the forests where pandas play. For further information, please visit www.yosemite.org.

Yosemite Renaissance Auction 2008 Appeal to Current and Past Exhibiting Artists and Artists-in-Residence

Yosemite Renaissance is planning its first benefit auction in four years to raise funds to support their Artists-in-Residence program. The National Park Service has made a cabin in Wawona available to Yosemite Renaissance for an extended period, allowing them to house artists year-round. Significant funds are required to complete much-needed and major repairs.

At this time, Yosemite Renaissance seeks donations from current and past exhibiting artists. If you are able to make a contribution, your work will be part of a very prestigious event -- only artists whose work has been selected for a Renaissance exhibit or who have been selected for the Artist-in-Residence program are being asked to contribute.

This event will be presented simultaneously as an online auction, silent auction and live auction. Contributed artwork will be viewable online and the pieces will be exhibited at The Ansel Adams Gallery from August 26 - 28. The final, live bidding will occur at a reception at the gallery on August 28th at 6 PM.

Please visit the Yosemite Renaissance website at www.yosemiterenaissance.org for further information on how to contribute to this auction.

Recent Corn Lily Images from Photographer William Neill

Photographer William Neill recently captured these two corn lily images while photographing at Summit Meadow in Yosemite National Park.

These, along with other work from William Neill, are available at www.anseladams.com or by emailing fineprints@anseladams.com.

New Photo Selection Makes a Splash at The Center for Creative Photography’s Ansel Adams Gallery

The smaller gallery on the Center for Creative Photography’s second floor dedicated to Ansel Adams just got refreshed. Assistant Curator, Becky Senf and UA student intern, Mary Karasch chose water as the theme for this 18-photograph installation, featuring well-known favorites and lesser known images by Adams, including ocean waves, glittering streams, icy lakes, pounding waterfalls, and shooting geysers.

The Center for Creative Photography at The University of Arizona is open Monday – Friday from 9 AM – 5 PM and Saturday – Sunday from noon – 5 PM.