California wildfire near Yosemite has almost DOUBLED in size in just a day: Firefighters say none of it is contained, 6,000 are evacuated and multiple homes destroyed
- The Oak Fire remains zero percent contained as of Saturday as it nearly doubled in size to 12,000 acres
- Now 6,000 people are under evacuation orders as the fire threatens 2,000 structures. Ten structures have been destroyed and five have been damaged
- An older man was seen being evacuated by firefighters after crashing his car in a ditch, while another couple lost their home of 37 years
- Wildfire began on Friday afternoon near Midpines and the cause is under investigation
- Cal Fire reports that ‘fire activity is extreme’ and ‘explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters’
A huge wildfire near Yosemite has almost doubled in size to 12,000 acres and – firefighters have warned that it is still zero percent contained.
The Oak Fire in Mariposa County had destroyed around 6,555 acres of land on Saturday afternoon, but that figure had rocketed to 11,900 acres by the end of the day. It has yet to breach the perimeter of Yosemite.
At least 10 homes have been destroyed, with five further structures damaged, and more than 6,000 people forced to evacuate as firefighters tackle the inferno.
There have not yet been reports of any injuries.
Cal Fire reported on Saturday that the fire was ‘explosive’ and challenging firefighters trying to tame it. Embers are causing the fire to spread into spot fires, which is causing firefighters to have a difficult time establishing containment lines.
‘The fire is moving quickly. This fire was throwing embers out in front of itself for up to two miles yesterday,’ Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest, said. ‘These are exceptional fire conditions.’ The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The fire has become one of California’s largest wildfires this year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and shutting off power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses.
The Oak Fire started Friday afternoon southwest of Yosemite near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County and by Saturday had grown to nearly 19 square miles, according to 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.
A home burns as the Oak Fire moves through the area on Saturday near Mariposa, California
A family’s dinner table is consumed by flames from the Oak Fire on Saturday
Firefighters help an elderly man from his car he crashed into a ditch while driving away from the Oak Fire
A helicopter drops a load of water onto the fire as firefighters try to contain the fire. Firefighters said the fire remains zero percent contained as of Saturday
Three firefighters prepare to drag a hose out of the back of the truck in Mariposa County on Saturday
A firefighter sprints to grab a hose on Triangle Road as the tree leaves an ashen path in its wake
Evacuation orders were put in effect Saturday for over 6,000 people living across a several-mile span in the sparsely populated, rural area, said Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest.
Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Saturday 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.
Pacific Gas & Electric said on its website that more than 2,600 homes and businesses in the area had lost power as of Friday afternoon and there was no indication when it would be restored. “PG&E is unable to access the affected equipment,” the utility said.
The burn zone of the Oak Fire near Midpines is seen on Saturday after the wildfire exploded in size
The flames completely consume a home on Triangle Road. Dark smoke and heat smolder the trees around it
Firefighters bravely work to put out the flames in the Jerseydale community on Saturday
If the fire continues on the same path, it could hit a burn scar from the Ferguson Fire in 2018, which could cause it to slow down.
A shoeless older man attempting to flee the blaze on Friday crashed his sedan into a ditch in a closed area and was helped by firefighters. He was safely driven from the area and did not appear to suffer any injuries. Several other residents stayed in their homes Friday night as the fire burned nearby.
Jane and Wes Smith’s home of 37 years has also caught fire and burned to the ground, according to a GoFundMe, set up by their son Nick.
‘My mom, Jane Smith only had enough time to load her horses and get out. My father Wes Smith a Mariposa Sheriff officer was out working the fire and was unable to save his home. They lived in their home for over 37 years, and now have lost everything,’ Nick wrote.
He said his parents ‘need pretty much everything’ and ‘all they have are the clothes on their back and their horses.’
The fundraiser has surpassed it’s $3,000 by a mile, bringing in $13,300.
Meanwhile, firefighters have made significant progress against a wildfire that began in Yosemite National Park and burned into the Sierra National Forest.
A fast-moving brush fire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size Saturday into one of California’s largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people
A home burns as the Oak Fire moves through the area on Saturday near Mariposa, California. The fast moving Oak Fire burning outside of Yosemite National Park has forced evacuations
The Oak Fire started Friday afternoon southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County and by Saturday morning had rapidly grown to 10.2 square miles
‘Fire activity is extreme,’ Cal Fire said in a situation report on Saturday, noting that the wildfire is at zero percent containment. ‘Explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters’
The Washburn Fire was 79 percent contained Friday after burning about 7.5 square miles of forest. It was one of the largest fires of the year in California, along with the Lost Lake Fire in Riverside County that was fully contained in June at nine square miles.
The origin of the Oak Fire is under investigation. 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.
The blaze prompted numerous road closures, including a shutdown of Highway 140 between Carstens Road and Allred Road – blocking one of the main routes into Yosemite.
Hot weather, low humidity and bone dry vegetation caused by the worst drought in decades was fueling the blaze and challenging fire crews, Patterson said.
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 2 miles yesterday,’ Patterson said. ‘These are exceptional fire conditions.’ The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Allison Baggett watches the Oak Fire burn close to her Mariposa, California home before evacuating on Friday night
Residents of Mariposa County prepare to evacuate as the Oak Fire grows in size on Friday evening
A home burns as the Oak Fire moves through the area on Saturday near Mariposa, California
By Saturday morning, the fire had destroyed 10 residential and commercial structures, damaged five others and was threatening 2,000 more structures, Cal Fire said
A plane drops retardant while battling the Oak Fire in Mariposa County on Friday evening
Firefighters look on as the Oak Fire burns in Darrah in Mariposa County on Saturday
A Cal Fire firefighter lights a backfire while battling the Oak Fire on Saturday near Mariposa, California
A firefighter extinguishes flames as the Oak Fire crosses Darrah Rd. in Mariposa County on Friday
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