Share and Follow
YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The smoke emanating from a cherished hotel within Yosemite National Park was mistaken for a fire, clarified the park’s concessionaire.
On Monday evening, a video circulated online depicting smoke rising from the Ahwahnee Hotel, alarming viewers.
Yosemite Hospitality, which manages the park’s dining, retail, and accommodation services, including the Ahwahnee Hotel, addressed the incident in a statement to YourCentralValley.com. They clarified that what appeared to be a fire was actually smoke from an elevator bank, resulting from a malfunctioning generator unit.
The company further explained that, as a precaution, guests were temporarily evacuated but were soon able to safely return to their rooms.
Yosemite Hospitality, the concessionaire responsible for the park’s restaurants, stores and lodging (including the Ahwahnee Hotel), confirmed in a statement to YourCentralValley.com that Monday’s incident at the Ahwahnee Hotel “was not a fire” but instead smoke in an elevator bank in the building, caused by “a faulty generator unit.”
The concessionaire added that guests were “briefly evacuated and safely returned to the hotel.”
The impacted elevator remains out of service during repairs, and guests are using a service elevator staffed by an attendant. All other hotel rooms and amenities remain open.
Yosemite Hospitality
The conditions at facilities inside Yosemite National Park have previously received criticism, following an open letter in 2024 accusing the operator of mismanagement and the continued closure of the Wawona Hotel after what was described as a comprehensive condition assessment of the hotel complex.