Yosemite fire threatens over 2,000 homes

A raging fire near Yosemite National Park grew to more than 16,000 acres overnight and is now threatening over 2,000 homes in the area.

"These are very scattered rural areas, but we do have about 2,000 homes that are in the path of the fire so that does have us concerned," said Daniel Berlant of the California Department for Forestry and Fire Prevention. "We're working very closely with the local sheriff's department there to help get residents out of the area."

"This thing is burning in every different direction," Berlant said. "That's what made it so difficult for us to really get our ... containment lines around it."

"It's burned over 16,000 acres now, it's really burning in areas that haven't burned in 100 years," Berlant said Sunday. "So the vegetation is extremely dry and there's a lot of it to burn."

"When you see such erratic fire behavior -- we had reports of over 100-foot flames -- that's a huge challenge for us," he said.

"But we are doing our best right now, and we're making good progress."

Some of the homes in Mariposa County on the outskirts of Yosemite park are under mandatory evacuation orders; other people are just being warned about the approaching blaze.

© Mark Will - NewsGirl.Org