It’s water — a benign and beautiful waterfall experience known as “firefall.”
So how does ‘firefall’ happen?
The rays of the setting sun create a pinkish-orange hue at firefall in Yosemite on Wednesday, February 24.
Shutterstock
Firefall occurs at Horsetail Fall, which flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, according to the National Park Service.
It’s a small waterfall, and it normally flows only during winter. The Park Service said it’s actually easy to miss.
But on some days during mid- to late February, it might glow an enchanting and magical orange when it’s backlit by sunset. That gives it that lavalike look.
The Park Service says the dazzling effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing. Even some haze or a bit of cloudiness can ruin the effect. Mother Nature provides no guarantees.
Keeping things pristine
It’s about a 1.5-mile walk each way from the closest parking to the viewpoint near the El Capitan picnic area.
The park is very serious about crowd control and parking in the ecologically sensitive area, which has been trampled and trashed in the past. The website posts explicit instructions on parking and warns violators could be towed.