YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. – Visitors trying to photograph Yosemite National Park’s famed peaks on Tuesday instead took shots of flying ash blowing in from an out-of-control wildfire burning just 12 miles outside the park.

The fire – which has destroyed 25 homes and is only 15 percent contained – has shrouded one of California’s most popular destinations in smoke, and risks marring business at the height of Yosemite’s busiest season.

“It’s the views that are really disappointing,” said Karen Brown, a 45-year-old mother of two from Phoenix. “We do two major trips a year and this was one of them. It’s not like we can shoot back here in a month.”

Brown said her family was packing up a day early to avoid suffering irritated eyes and sore throats. Still, many travelers said they were gladly staying put.

Patricio Aguirre, 48, from the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, smiled as his wife and children marveled, through a white haze, at Half Dome’s imposing shoulder.

“It’s a great shame because we know what’s burning now won’t regenerate for many years,” Aguirre said, as he climbed into the family’s rented minivan. “My children laugh at me, but I tell them they have to see the good in this. It’s not every day one can see Yosemite burn.”

Authorities said Tuesday the blaze had charred more than 46 square miles of steep, rugged terrain since a target shooter sparked the wildfire Friday.

It has also forced the evacuation of 350 homes in the towns of Midpines and Coulterville, gateway communities whose businesses rely on tourist dollars.

Fire crews are expected to get some help from a slight drop in temperature, which was forecast to remain in the high 80s Tuesday, accompanied by low humidity and afternoon winds, the National Weather Service said.