Yosemite National Park: Firefighters Contain Spread

Firefighters significantly slowed the spread of a huge wildfire burning in forest near Yosemite National Park, where thousands of residents of mountain communities were still under evacuation orders Monday and smoke was spreading for hundreds of miles around.

Crews “made good headway” against the Oak Fire, according to a Sunday night incident report by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. “Fire activity was not as extreme as it has been in previous days.”

More than 2,500 firefighters with aircraft support battled the blaze that erupted Friday southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County.

Officials described “explosive fire behavior” Saturday as flames made runs through bone-dry vegetation caused by the worst drought in decades.

By Monday morning, the blaze had consumed more than 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) of forest land, with 10% containment, Cal Fire said. The cause was under investigation.