"JERSEYDALE, Calif. — A destructive wildfire near Yosemite National Park burned out of control through tinder-dry forest on Sunday and had grown into one of California’s biggest blazes of the year, forcing thousands of residents to flee remote mountain communities.

Some 2,000 firefighters battled the Oak Fire, along with aircraft and bulldozers, facing tough conditions that includes steep terrain, sweltering temperatures and low humidity, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

“It’s hot out there again today,” Cal Fire spokesperson Natasha Fouts said Sunday. “And the fuel moisture levels are critically low.”

Crews on the ground protected homes as air tankers dropped retardant on 50-foot (15-meter) flames racing along ridgetops east of the tiny community of Jerseydale."

Noah Berger and Christopher Weber report for the Associated Press July 24, 2022. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Track Wildfires in the West" (New York Times) [3]

"Governor Declares Emergency Over Wildfire Near Yosemite" (AP) [4]

"US Takes Emergency Action To Save Sequoias From Wildfires" (AP) [5]