A large wildfire burning in Yosemite National Park for weeks has prompted the evacuation of more than 100 visitors over the weekend. The so-called “Meadow Fire” has burned at least 700 acres, over four square miles in the back country of the park grounds, and has yet to be fully contained.
“We just got unbelievable crazy winds and unexpected hot conditions,” said Tim Ludington, Yosemite’s chief of roads and trails. “The fire behavior totally changed.”
According to park spokeswoman Kari Cobb, the flames were sparked by lightning a few weeks ago between Little Yosemite Valley and the historic Half Dome peak, which rises at nearly 5,000 feet. Several affected areas were closed off, but the park remained open to visitors.
Strong winds, dry conditions and high temperatures also fueled the flames over the weekend, Cobb said.
Evacuees included campers, tourists, and hikers climbing up Half Dome peak. As many as 85 hikers were vacated from the top, with another 100 from below in Yosemite Valley. People were airlifted out from campgrounds and trails around the area. There were no reports of injuries or structure damage, according to Yosemite reps.
More than 100 firefighters equipped with water-dropping aircraft were on hand to fight the encroaching blaze, but they were hampered by the rugged, steep park terrain.
The northern California world heritage site has been open for more than a century, and park officials are worried about the state of the land following the weeks-long uncontrollable blaze.
News of a smaller fire burning near the town of Mariposa, about 15 miles southwest of Yosemite, also caught the attention of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Over 700 threatened homes and several businesses were evacuated, and a portion of Highway 49 was closed. The sheriff’s department has issued an evacuation advisory for surrounding neighborhoods.
In a farther region of Siskiyou County, firefighters were able to contain about 30% of a blaze that grew to 151 square miles, according to U.S. Forest Service officials. They estimate a total of $54.7 million has been spent so far on relief efforts, with over 2,000 people working tirelessly to help fight the flames.
California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency last month, as multiple wildfires were reported in large areas throughout the West Coast. Concerns about federal funding to battle the flames continues to grow. Government officials are developing a stalled plan for an emergency reserve fund, as the dry weather and the peak of wildfire season continues in the fall.
(With reports from The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo News.)
