A brush fire near Yosemite National Park erupted Saturday into one of California’s largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands and knocking out power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses .
The Oak Fire started Friday afternoon southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County and had grown to nearly 48 square miles by Saturday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Need Fire
It erupted as firefighters advanced against an earlier fire that burned to the edge of a giant sequoia forest in the southernmost part of Yosemite Park.
Evacuation orders went into effect Saturday for more than 6,000 people living in an 7-mile (11-kilometer) space in the sparsely populated rural area, said Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest.
Firefighters work to keep the Oak Fire from reaching a home in the Jerseydale community of Mariposa County, Calif., Saturday, July 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (AP) A plane goes down while delaying battle the Oak Fire in Mariposa County, Calif., Friday, July 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (AP)
Governor Gavin Newsom declared 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 harsh conditions that included hot weather, low humidity and bone-dry vegetation caused by the worst drought in decades, he said Patterson.
“The explosive behavior of the fire is challenging firefighters,” Cal Fire said in a statement Saturday that described the Oak Fire’s activity as “extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and cluster fires.”
By Saturday morning, the fire had destroyed 10 residential and commercial structures, damaged five more and threatened 2,000 more structures, Cal Fire said.
The fire caused numerous road closures, including the closure of Highway 140 between Carstens Road and Allred Road, blocking one of the main routes into Yosemite.
Flames consume a home on Triangle Rd. while the Oak Fire burns on Saturday, July 23, 2022 in Mariposa County, California. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (AP) Flames from the Oak Fire consume a home on Triangle Road in Mariposa County, California, Saturday, July 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (AP)
California has seen increasingly large and deadly wildfires in recent years as climate change has made the West much warmer and drier over the past 30 years. Scientists have said that the weather will continue to become more extreme and wildfires more frequent, destructive and unpredictable.
“The fire is moving fast. This fire was throwing embers up to 2 miles (3 kilometers) in front of it yesterday,” Patterson said.
“These are exceptional fire conditions.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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 affected equipment,” the company said.
A firefighter puts out the flames as the Oak Fire crosses Darrah Rd. in Mariposa County, California on Friday, July 22, 2022. Crews were able to prevent it from reaching an adjacent home. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (AP) Firefighters battle the Oak Fire on Triangle Road in unincorporated Mariposa County, California, Saturday, July 23, 2022. (Ethan Swope/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) (AP)
A shoeless elderly man trying to escape the fire Friday crashed his sedan into a ditch in a closed area and was helped by firefighters.
He was safely removed from the area and did not appear to be injured. Several other residents stayed in their homes Friday night as the fire burned nearby.
Meanwhile, firefighters have made significant progress against a wildfire that started in Yosemite National Park and burned through the Sierra National Forest.
The Washburn fire was 79 percent contained Friday after burning about 12 miles (19.4 square kilometers) of forest. It was one of the largest fires of the year in California, along with Lost Lake in Riverside County, which was fully contained in June at 23 square kilometers.
A helicopter drops water on the Oak Fire in unincorporated Mariposa County, California, Saturday, July 23, 2022. (Ethan Swope/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) (AP)
The fire broke out on July 7 and forced the closure of Yosemite’s South Entrance and the evacuation of the community of Wawona as it burned along the edge of Mariposa Grove, home to hundreds of giant sequoias, the largest trees in the world by volume.
Wawona Road is scheduled to reopen Saturday, according to the park’s website.