By admin 
The National Park Service just gave a hint to one possible cause of the Dome Fire, which has been burning near the southern entrance to Yosemite since last week.
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Officially, the cause of the fire is under investigation, per daily updates online.
But, the park service on Tuesday, put out a request for information from anyone who was in the area of Chilnualna Falls from Sept. 9-15, specifically if they “witnessed anyone with a campfire.”
The Dome Fire closed down a section of the park that includes the Chilnualna Falls trail and some believe the fire may have started near the trailhead.
This would have been an illegal campfire.
Fire restrictions have been in place in the park since Aug. 1 for elevations at or below 8,000 feet, according to the park service.
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Tips can be submitted by phone at 888-653-0009, online at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or via email at [email protected].
So far, the fire has moved from the backcountry near Chilnualna Falls north into the footprint of 2017’s Empire Fire. That fire burned more than 160 days over some 8,000 acres. The Dome Fire sits at 3,660 acres and has caused the death of two helicopter pilots fighting the fire.
This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 3:35 PM with the headline “Did the National Park Service just hint at a possible cause of Yosemite’s Dome Fire?.”
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