CALIFORNIA (Washington Insider Magazine) – Near Yosemite National Park in California, a wildfire that is wreaking havoc through dense vegetation and difficult terrain has grown to 17,241 acres as of Monday night, according to state fire authorities.
According to Cal Fire, while thousands of firemen battled the Oak Fire, which is raging in Mariposa County and has forced the displacement of more than 6,000 inhabitants, climbed from 0% containment on Sunday to 16 percent containment as of Monday evening.
According to Cal Fire, firefighters were able to save the little town of Mariposa Pines, which was on the northern border of the fire, despite being hampered by the area’s difficult terrain and temperatures that ranged from the upper 90s to 100 degrees.
According to Cal Fire, the fire made a “hard push” in the vicinity of Mariposa Pines, which has a population of around 300. According to Cal Fire authorities, three strike teams of firefighters were able to stop a fire from spreading into the village in the Sierra Nevada mountains and leaping a road.
According to authorities, firemen were also making headway on the east and south edges of the fire. According to Cal Fire, the fire’s northeastern flank was advancing towards an area where the 2018 Ferguson Fire, which scorched roughly 97,000 acres, left burn scars.
According to fire officials, extreme drought conditions has left behind significant areas of dried-out vegetation that are feeding the rapidly spreading fire. According to ABC NEWS, the Oak Fire is currently the biggest fire to break out in the state this year.
According to Cal Fire, the fire broke out Friday at 2:00 pm close to the Midpines settlement in Mariposa County. The fire’s origin is being looked into.
Over the weekend, Mariposa County received a state of emergency declaration from California Governor Gavin Newsom, and his office stated that the state has received Fire Fighting Assistance Funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support it with resources as it battles the fire.
According to Cal Fire, the fire has damaged or destroyed at least 15 buildings. According to a preliminary damage assessment by Cal Fire, Mariposa County has at least 7 completely destroyed homes.
There have been no fatalities or significant injuries recorded.
According to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, smoke from the Oak Fire is anticipated to travel over 200 miles and influence the air quality in areas of the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to authorities, the International Space Station could observe smoke from the fire. The Bay Area will be completely covered in smoke by Tuesday, according to a time-lapse smoke forecast graphic issued by the National Weather Service.
In the last 2 weeks, Mariposa County has seen three wildfires.
After burning more than 4,800 acres, the Washburn Fire, which began on July 7 near the southern entryway of Yosemite National Park, is 87 percent controlled. The park’s southern gate was reopened on July 16 as a result of the fire’s containment, which at one time was perilously near to the park’s sizable sequoia grove, Mariposa Grove.
The Washburn Fire’s origin is still being looked into.
After consuming about 420 acres, the relatively small Agua Fire, which erupted on July 18, is now completely controlled. Officials said that a car sparked the fire.
