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Oak Fire: A Wildfire Near Yosemite National Park Declared An Emergency
(CTN News) – California has declared a state of emergency as a wildfire near Yosemite National Park continues to spread rapidly.
Firefighters are still unable to control any of the Oak Fire 24 hours after it started on Friday.
California’s fire department says firefighters are challenged by explosive fire behavior.
There have been more than 3,000 evacuations and ten homes destroyed.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), Oak Fire has burned 11,900 acres (4,815 hectares) of land, making it the largest active wildfire in the country.
Mariposa County has declared a state of emergency. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom said the flames were caused by “hot, dry weather and drought conditions”.
This weekend, most of the United States is experiencing a heatwave. It was 96F (35.5C) on Saturday in Mariposa County, and it is expected to stay that way for the next few days.
Near where Oak Fire is burning, Yosemite National Park is home to some of the largest and oldest sequoia trees in the world.
Firefighters saved the redwoods from another blaze earlier this month.
Hot, dry weather is more likely to fuel wildfires as a result of climate change.
In the last century alone, the world has warmed by about 1.1C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments reduce emissions drastically.
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