[1] The Ferguson Fire was caused by the superheated fragments of a faulty vehicle catalytic converter igniting vegetation.

The Ferguson Fire was first reported on July 13, 2018, around 8:30 PM PDT in the Savage Trading Post area, in the Sierra National Forest in California.

[5] Burning in an inaccessible area that was extremely steep and hazardous, the fire grew to 4,000 acres (16 km2) by the morning of July 15.

Crews focused on securing a fire line and protecting structures along Highway 140 and in Hite's Cove and Cedar Lodge.

[9] Electricity went out in eastern areas impacted by the fire, including portions of Yosemite National Park.

Crews focused on improving indirect lines along Sweetwater Ridge and from Highway 140 southeast to Wawona Road.

[13] The fire continued to remain on the south side of the Merced River and mandatory evacuations were put in place for El Portal Trailer Court.

New mandatory evacuations were put in place for Rancheria Government Housing, Old El Portal, Foresta and the Yosemite View Lodge.

Air and ground crews made concerted efforts only to make minimal impact on the fire's growth, which was estimated at 2,000 acres (8 km2) in this specific area.

Crews were called away from fighting a portion of the fire in the Stanislaus National Forest due to safety hazards.

[24] The fire continued to grow by the end of the day on July 22 and Old Yosemite Road was placed under mandatory evacuation and closed.

Crews used hand and heavy equipment to build lines in Montgomery Gulch and areas of Eagle Peak and Buena Vista in the north, while the fire continued to burn in the Chowchilla Mountains in the south.

[29] Firefighters had a productive day, with indirect containment lines being completed up Soapstone Ridge in the Stanislaus National Forest.

[34] In the evening, on July 26, additional vegetation was burned from containment lines to further protect El Portal and Yosemite West.

[36] That evening, almost 4,000 personnel continued to fight the fire, with containment growing to 29 percent due to favorable conditions.

Crews worked the area from Henness Ridge southeast to Highway 41 to prepare it for a new containment line.

On the northern area of the fire, crews strengthened the containment line to reduce fuel availability.

Specialists began evaluating the western side of the fire for repair and mitigation as a result of suppression efforts.

[42] Evacuation orders were lifted for the East Westfall Road area and the Highway 140 and Ponderosa Basin.

Tactical firing was focused around Highway 41 toward Wawona Campground, heading west from Crow Peak.

[49] Select roads and trails in Groveland Ranger District in Stanislaus National Forest were closed due to the fire's impacts.

Interior areas continued to ignite during the heat of the day, but did not pose a threat to the containment lines.

[36] In August, specific trails and roads in the Groveland Ranger District of Stanislaus National Forest were closed due to anticipated long-term fire impacts.

[55] A bulldozer operator from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Braden Varney, died when his vehicle rolled down a ravine.