LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Yosemite National Park, located in the western U.S. state of California, will reopen next Tuesday after a huge wildfire nearby which began one month ago has been almost contained.
The blaze, dubbed "Ferguson Fire," didn't reach the heart of the park, but it burned in remote areas, making roads inaccessible, choking the park with smoke and forcing the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas to be closed since July 25 along with hundreds of campsites and hotels.
The park announced the schedule of reopening in a press release on Friday, but also warned visitors should be aware that there is still active fire and smoke on the roads and ongoing firefighter operations.
Michael Reynolds, Yosemite National Park Superintendent, was quoted in the press release as saying that this closure is a historic and unprecedented event in the park's history.
"We'd like to express our sincere gratitude to the firefighters and incident command teams for their great efforts in suppressing the Ferguson Fire. We'd also like to express our gratitude and thanks to our gateway communities who tirelessly helped visitors to the area while they were being impacted by the fire," he said.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, glaciers, biological diversity and so on. Some 4 million visitors flock to the park each year.
