Yosemite visitor captures rare firefall at El Capitan

A TikTok video posted Feb. 22 by user @michellemaradiaga8 shows Horsetail Fall glowing orange like a firefall and has more than 1.4 million views; the National Park Service says the effect appears in mid-to-late February when the waterfall is flowing and the setting sun backlights it.

A viral video shared on social media shows a bright, firelike glow on a Yosemite waterfall and has drawn widespread attention. The clip, posted by TikTok user @michellemaradiaga8 on Feb. 22, includes scenes from a vehicle drive through snow-covered woods before showing Horsetail Fall glowing orange near the eastern edge of El Capitan. The phenomenon is discussed because it is uncommon and occurs under specific conditions each year in mid to late February. Noted details: - The video was posted by TikTok user @michellemaradiaga8 on Feb. 22 and has amassed more than 1.4 million views, according to the report. - The glowing effect appears at Horsetail Fall, which flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, and can look orange when backlit by the setting sun. - The National Park Service says the lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky while the waterfall is flowing, and that even haze or minor clouds can reduce or eliminate it. - The Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau notes the name "firefall" partly recalls a historic human-made bonfire spectacle at Glacier Point that ended in 1973, and that a photographer later noticed a similar natural effect near El Capitan. - The article states Newsweek contacted the original poster and that the video has not been independently verified. Summary: The post renewed attention to Horsetail Fall's annual mid-to-late February glow and drew millions of views, highlighting how weather and water flow determine whether the effect appears. Undetermined at this time.