Fire Near US´ Yosemite Park Threatens 2,000 Homes

The fire, which began Friday afternoon, was caused by a spark from a person shooting at targets.

About 2,000 homes were at risk from an erratic and fast-moving wildfire near Yosemite National Park that was raging across 16,000 acres (6,475 hectares), a fire official said on Sunday.

"The fire's going in all directions," said Daniel Berlant, information officer at the California Department for Forestry and Fire Prevention. "There are reports of flame lengths over 100 feet (30 meters)."

Between 170 and 200 homes in Midpines, a town neighboring the 1,200-square-mile (310,800 hectares) park in central California, were under mandatory evacuation orders, Berlant said.

Other residents who live in the communities of Coulterville, Greeley Hill and Mariposa that are west of Yosemite in Mariposa County, have been warned they may have to leave their homes if the fire approaches, he said, which would bring the total homes at risk to around 2,000.

Berlant described these areas as rural and sparsely populated.

The fire is not affecting the park itself, but power supply to Yosemite Valley, an area that includes popular sightseeing spots like El Capitan, has been cut off, said Julie Chavez, a Yosemite media relations officer.

"We're running on generators," she said, adding that all four entrances to the park and major roads remain open.

But "air quality and visibility have been impeded" due to the fire, Chavez said.

The fire, which began Friday afternoon, was caused by a spark from a person shooting at targets, Berlant said.

"Yesterday morning, it was 1,000 acres (405 hectares) and within a 12-hour period it grew to 16,000 acres (6,475 hectares)," he said.

The fire was fueled by dry timber that has not burned for 100 years, he said. "There's a lot of fuel for the fire burn."

There are about 1,000 firefighters currently battling the blaze, and "hundreds of others" are coming from all over the state, Berlant said.

One of the biggest challenges to controlling the fire is the steep, rugged terrain that makes access difficult, Berlant said.