Hope grows as spread ofYosemite wildfire slows

FIREFIGHTERS have slowed the spread of an aggressive wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in a rural area of California near Yosemite National Park, officials said.

The blaze burning for a week has scorched just over 118 square miles of dense brush and dead trees in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Many residents were allowed to return, but flames continue to threaten about 1,500 homes in Mariposa County.

The fire was 40% contained, but officials said it could take crews another two weeks to fully surround it.

“They are still out in front of an uncontrolled fire, but the fire isn’t moving at 30mph.

“The fire is crawling along,” fire spokesman Brandon Vaccaro said on Saturday.

Flames spared Mariposa, a historic Gold Rush-era town, but more than 60 nearby homes and about 64 other buildings were destroyed.

Nearly 4,500 firefighters fought the blaze using air tankers and fleets of helicopters and bulldozers.

The fire grew by up to 47 square miles a day at its peak.

However, by the weekend, the growth rate was slowed despite dry, blistering weather, Mr Vaccaro said.

The smoke blurred the scenic vistas of Yosemite National Park, about 35 miles west of the fire.

Tourists expecting the grandeur of falls and granite peaks instead saw hazy grey silhouettes.

Some roads remained closed, but Mariposa, with a population of about 2,000, was coming back to life.