An active wildfire near Yosemite National Park has led to mass evacuations for thousands of California residents.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said the fire — which has been active since Friday afternoon — has already expanded to 11,900 acres.
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Named Oak Fire, the fire started on Highway 140 and Carstens Road, near Midpines.
It is now considered the largest California fire of wildfire season in the state, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Mariposa County is currently the only evacuation zone, but the fire is zero percent under control and information could change quickly
Cal Fire said in a statement on Saturday: “Fire activity is extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group flares.
“Emergency services are working to evacuate people safely and are actively involved in protecting structures.
“Explosive fire behavior is a challenge for firefighters.”
The fire destroyed 10 residential and commercial buildings Saturday morning, along with five others damaged, Cal Fire noted.
And 2,000 additional structures are under threat as numerous roads have been closed, including one blocking one of the main routes into Yosemite, the Associated Press reports.
Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric announced that more than 2,600 homes and businesses in the area lost power Friday afternoon.
PG&E noted that they “did not have access to the affected equipment” and it is not known when power will be restored.
As of Saturday night, Cal Fire dispatched four helicopters, 45 engines, four bulldozers, four water tenders, 11 crew members and 403 personnel to the scene.
California Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County as the Oak Fire destroyed homes and forced more than 6,000 residents to evacuate.
The Office of Gov Newsom explains, “Earlier today, the governor announced that within hours California had been awarded a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the availability of essential resources to suppress the fire.”
Sierra National Forest spokesman Daniel Patterson said the evacuations were being carried out for thousands “who live several miles away in the sparsely populated, rural area”.
The blaze continues to spread as the Washburn fire in Yosemite National Park left a forest of gigantic… sequoia trees.
Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in a Friday: press release: “Without urgent action, wildfires could eliminate countless more iconic giant redwoods.”
He added: “We can and must do more to protect giant redwoods using all the tools and flexibility at our disposal.
“This emergency measure to reduce fuel consumption before a wildfire occurs will protect unburnt giant sequoia forests from the risks of very serious wildfires.”
Earlier this week, two pilots died after a helicopter helping fight a wildfire crashed in Idaho, the New York Times reports.
Thomas Hayes, a 41-year-old man from Idaho, and Jared Bird, a 26-year-old man from Alaska, were killed in the crash.
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