Wildfire declared an emergency
A fast-moving brush fire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size yesterday into one of California’s largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and shutting off power to more than 2000 homes and businesses.
The Oak Fire started Saturday southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County and by yesterday had grown to nearly 48sq km, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
It erupted as firefighters made progress against an earlier blaze that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias in the southernmost part of Yosemite park.
Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Mariposa County due to the effects of the Oak Fire.
More than 400 firefighters were battling the blaze, along with helicopters, other aircraft and bulldozers, facing tough conditions that included hot weather, low humidity and bone-dry vegetation caused by the worst drought in decades, Patterson said.
“Explosive fire behaviour is challenging firefighters,” Cal Fire said in a statement that described the Oak Fire’s activity as “extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group torching”.
California has experienced increasingly larger and deadlier wildfires in recent years as climate change has made the West much warmer and drier over the past 30 years. Scientists have said weather will continue to be more extreme and wildfires more frequent, destructive and unpredictable.
“The fire is moving quickly. This fire was throwing embers out in front of itself for up to [3.2km] yesterday,” Patterson said. “These are exceptional fire conditions.”
The cause of the fire was under investigation. —AP