CNN: “Federal forest officials closed trails and campgrounds in a remote area near Yosemite National Park because of ‘unknown hazards’ located in the area where a family and their dog were mysteriously found dead last month. The bodies of Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and the family dog, Oksi, were found by search and rescue workers on August 17 in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest near the south fork of the Merced River, according to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. They were found on the Savage Lundy Trail. The Sierra National Forest said it closed the area where the family was found as a precaution due to ‘unknown hazards found in and around the Savage Lundy Trail.’ ‘Designated recreation sites, roads, and trails in proximity and/or leading to this location will be off limits to public,’ the national forest said in a statement Saturday. The closures are effective until September 26.”

“Since the closure was announced, the US Forest Service temporarily closed all national forests in California due to multiple wildfires burning in the state. Investigators have not yet determined what led to the mysterious deaths. Autopsies on the family and a necropsy on the dog were inconclusive while toxicology results remain pending. Some results could come as early as Wednesday, Kristie Mitchell, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told CNN. The only potential causes of death that have been ruled out include gunshots, or any other type of weapon, and chemical hazards specifically along the Savage Lundy Trail. Detectives have not ruled out possible toxins in areas near the trail. Signs warning of a toxic algae bloom have been posted since mid-July along the south fork of the Merced River, in the vicinity of where the family was found. Water samples from the area – along with samples of the drinking water the family packed – have been sent to labs for testing.”