The El Portal Market, one of El Portal’s oldest buildings, burned to the ground yesterday in a blaze which was reported by local residents at approximately 5 a.m. Units from El Portal, Wawona and Yosemite Valley and from DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. and Mariposa County responded to the fire. The market has been closed for renovations since late March. The El Portal Market, built around 1934, originally served park visitors travelling to Yosemite by railroad. The market was operated between 1966 and March of this year under the general partnership of Vaughn, Vaughn, and Carter. The current operator was scheduled to open the market in late spring, when renovations were completed. The market has served El Portal residents and park visitors since the mid-1930’s as both a general merchandise store and a community meeting place. Yosemite park managers are meeting to consider options for replacing the building. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
