Thousands told to evacuate homes in California as wildfire engulfs forests bordering Yosemite National Park

Cal Fire firefighters battle the Oak Fire on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, California.

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• A wildfire in Mariposa, California, has engulfed 11,900 acres of land near Yosemite National Park. 
• Approximately 6,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes for their own safety. 
• CalFire has said that the fire was zero percent contained,  and threatened 2,693 buildings.

Approximately 6,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes in Mariposa, California, as a wildfire blazes through the Sierra National Forest, which borders the Yosemite National Park.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CalFire, stated that the Oak Fire had engulfed 11,900 acres of land, with thousands of residents living within a 54-square-mile evacuation zone told to leave their homes. 

 Explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters," said Cal Fire,per The Independent.

CalFire has said the blaze had destroyed 10 buildings and threatened another 2,693.

A home burn as the Oak Fire burns through the area on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, California.

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The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but the fire department has said that extreme drought conditions have led to critical fuel moisture levels in the area. 

More than 2,000 personnel were involved in battling the blaze using 225 engines, 23 water tenders, and 17 helicopters,  according to Jaime Williams, a public information officer for CalFire, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

A Cal Fire firefighter monitors the Oak Fire on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The department states that fire activity picked up on Saturday afternoon as temperatures in the area rose. 

Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest, has said that climate change is the reason for increasing temperatures in the area, which has caused droughts and increasing numbers of wildfires, Sky News reports. 

A Cal Fire firefighter lights a backfire while battling the Oak Fire on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

"Climate change, with rising temperatures and shifts in precipitation patterns, is amplifying the risk of wildfires," the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has previously said. 

The U.S. Forest Service has recently had to take emergency steps to save giant sequoia groves from wildfires.

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