Yosemite Fire Not Contained: Homes Destroyed, 2,500 More Under Threat

A fire is raging in Yosemite National Park, threatening more than 2,000 structures.

It has forced the evacuation of camps and remote rural homes and shutdown a main highway into the park.

Over the course of three days, the fire has destroyed two residences and five outbuildings. A further 2,500 houses, hotels, and camp buildings are under threat, US Forest Service spokesman Jerry Snyder said.

Most of the properties were in Groveland, a community of about 3,500 people. It has not yet been evacuated.

The fire now covers more than 15 square miles and was burning out of control in remote, steep, difficult-to-reach terrain with no containment lines. Some 450 firefighters were working to control the blaze. They were supported by water-dropping planes.

About 200 senior citizens and some workers were forced to evacuate from Camp Mather. It is owned and operated by the city of San Francisco as a public getaway for city families and was hosting a special week for the group.

Several camps outside Yosemite have been evacuated since the fire started Saturday in the Stanislaus National Forest.

The fire has also forced several dozen people to leave the tiny community of Buck Meadows.

State Route 120 was closed off in both directions for a 4-mile stretch, blocking traffic in and out of Yosemite on its west side. However, the park remained open to visitors from State Route 140 and State Route 4.

The cause of this Yosemite fire is under investigation.