|
 The blaze, dubbed the "Bridge Fire", began in the afternoon in
Mariposa County, some 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) southwest of the
national park, forcing evacuations and closures of the surrounding
roads, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire
Prevention (CalFire).
The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that about
700 homes were in the evacuated area.
As of 10 p.m. local time on Friday, no structures had been damaged,
one person had sustained minor injuries, and the blaze was 10
percent contained, CalFire said.
 Last month, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency as
firefighters battled wildfires across California, including the
massive El Portal blaze that charred nearly 4,700 acres on the
western edge of Yosemite National Park. [ID:nL2N0Q904H]
With federal funds for fighting wildfires running low, officials in
California on Thursday called on Congress to move forward on a
stalled plan to set up an emergency reserve fund for battling the
extreme blazes anticipated this fall.
[to top of second column] |
Concern about funds for firefighting are growing as danger from
wildfires increases throughout the western United States, and as the
fire season reaches its peak amid a devastating drought that has
left dry, combustible fuel ready to burn.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Catherine
Evans)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
