California Wildfire Threatens 1,500 Homes

A California blaze in the rugged mountains outside of Yosemite National Park has destroyed eight structures and forced thousands of nearby residents to flee their homes.

As of Tuesday evening, the fire had scorched 39 square miles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze burning since Sunday was making its way to the hills on the edge of Mariposa. The town of about 2,000 people is under a mandatory evacuation order.

Record rain and snowfall in the mountains last winter were celebrated for bringing California’s five-year drought to its knees, but it has turned into a challenge for firefighters battling flames feeding on dense vegetation, officials said.

“There’s ample fuel and steep terrain,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman DeeDee Garcia. “It makes firefighting difficult.”

The Northern California blaze is threatening at least 1,500 homes as well as powerlines that provide electricity to the park, officials said. The park remained open Tuesday but several roads frequented by tourists were closed.

The wildfire near Lake McClure, a reservoir about 50 miles east of Modesto, was 5 percent contained Tuesday evening as at least 1,400 firefighters battled it on the ground and from the air.

It’s burning near Highway 49, a historical route winding its way up California foothills of the western Sierra Nevada dotted with communities and landmarks that sprouted up during the state’s Gold Rush.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday declared an emergency, bolstering the state’s resources to battle the fire that he said has forced thousands of residents to flee and is expected to continue burning.