Yosemite Wildfire Maps & Weather Update: Rain Showers, Cooler Temperatures Help to Tame Blaze
Cooler weather rolled in over Yosemite National Park in California on Monday, calming a blaze that flared up the day before and forced helicopter evacuations for 85 people in the park.
The fire, which officials believe likely is one that has been smoldering for more than a month, has burned around 4 square miles of the famed park, according to a report from Fox News. Many of those who had to be airlifted out of the fire's path were hiking near the iconic Half Dome rock formation.
"We were pleasantly surprised with high humidity and scattered showers throughout the morning," said Kari Cobb, a park ranger. "So anytime you have weather like that it's going to help suppress fire activity."
The park remains open, despite the blaze, though some campsites and hiking trails are closed as a precaution.
A crew of around 120 firefighters and 11 aircraft have been fighting the wildfire, which was likely started by lightning and has been incubating for a month. High temperatures and winds on Sunday fueled the fire's growth.
A total of 100 people were evacuated from Little Yosemite Valley, 85 of whom were rescued by helicopters, according to SFGate.
Fire officials aren't entirely sure if Sundays fire was an flare up of the earlier fire, but they say that's the most likely scenario. If that's the case, the fire grew from 19 acres on Saturday to 2,500 acres on Sunday night.
Firefighters elsewhere in California have their hands full with two other major blazes. The state has been in a severe drought with fires starting much more easily than under normal conditions.
Around the town of Mariposa, about 15 miles from Yosemite, firefighters have been batting a 300-acre fire and have established 70 percent containment. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has lifted an evacuation order on about 300 homes in the area.
That fire broke out Friday afternoon, and a total of 700 homes and five businesses were at risk.
Another fire, in the Northern California county of Siskiyou, has burned 151 square miles and is only 30 percent contained. The Forest Service said $54.7 million has been spent and 2,700 people have worked to fight the fire.
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