Yosemite, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Madera Foothills and Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra were placed under an updated report for strong thunderstorms by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 8:29 p.m. The alert is in effect until 9 p.m. The storms are packing pea-sized hail (0.25 inches). At 8:29 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm over Bootjack, or 16 miles west of Yosemite South Entrance, moving northeast at 30 mph, states the NWS Hanford CA.
After lightning sparked fires across the Sierra Nevada foothills, evacuations were ordered Tuesday for several communities along Highway 4. Parts of Vallecito, Douglas Flat and Murphys were included in the evacuation order for the 2-7 Fire, which by midafternoon Tuesday had burned 500 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Another evacuation order covered a less populated area near Don Pedro Reservoir, where the 6-5 Fire had burned 3,000 acres.
"This one has quite a bit of energy with it," Lewis said. "There is definitely concern for fire starts due to lightning strikes. I think lightning and wind are the biggest concerns right now."
