California Blaze Threatens 2,000 Homes

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A man-made wildfire raged near California's Yosemite National Park on Monday, threatening thousands of homes in the latest large-scale blaze to ravage the state, officials said. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) said 2,000 homes were at risk from the fire, which has already gutted 12 homes, scorched 26,130 acres (10,574 hectares), and injured three people. The blaze -- which was triggered by people target shooting on Friday -- is burning in the rugged forest and scrubland of the Sierra Nevada foothills in Mariposa county, around 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Yosemite. Around 2,500 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the fire, which comes after a month-long firestorm across California that scorched more than one million acres (400,000 hectares) since June 20. California is frequently hit by scorching wildfires due to its dry climate, Santa Ana winds and recent housing booms which have seen housing spread rapidly into rural and densely forested areas. In October, devastating wildfires were among the worst in California history, leaving eight people dead, destroying 2,000 homes, displacing 640,000 people and causing one billion dollars in damage. (more)

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YouTube | July 29, 2008

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