California wildfire largely unchecked

Hot, dry weather conditions yesterday stoked a largely unchecked California wildfire near Yosemite National Park as crews battled through steep terrain and thick smoke to protect a string of small mountain communities in the path of the flames.

The “Ferguson” Fire, which started on Friday night and killed a firefighter the following day, had charred nearly 52sq km and was burning just a few miles outside the park.

Yesterday, temperatures were expected to reach at least 42C, the National Weather Service said in its forecast.

A layer of thick black smoke prevented water-dropping helicopters and aircraft from flying low into narrow canyons, a fire spokeswoman said.

State Route 140, a western entry point into Yosemite, remained closed due to the blaze.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the conflagration, which was 5% contained yesterday.

As the fire marched slowly east and south from its starting point at Savage Trading Post, 32km southwest of the park’s boundary in the Sierra Nevada mountains, fire managers warned that the communities of Jerseydale, Mariposa Pines, Clearing House and Incline could be in danger.

A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for more than 100 homes in Jerseydale, Freeman said.

Firefighter Braden Varney was killed on Saturday when a bulldozer he was using to cut a fire break overturned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Varney is the 10th US wildland firefighter to die in the line of duty this year, according to National Interagency Fire Center data.

California has had its worst start to the fire season in a decade, with more than 220,421 acres blackened and six major wildfires burning statewide as of Tuesday, according to the agency.

Wildfires have already burned more than 3.4mn acres across the United States this year, more than the year-to-date average of about 3mn acres over the past 10 years.