San Fran emergency as Yosemite fire rages

Thursday, 27 Aug, 2013 0

A huge fire in and around California’s Yosemite National Park has continued to spread and now covers almost 600 sq km, officials say.

California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for San Francisco 220km away.

The fire is now raining ash on a key reservoir that supplies water and hydroelectric power to San Francisco.

The blaze is also threatening thousands of homes and some of California’s renowned giant sequoia trees.

Strong winds are making the fires more difficult to control. Some 2,800 firefighters are tackling the flames in difficult terrain.

"It’s a very difficult firefight," said Daniel Berlant of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The blaze began on August 17 but the cause is still unknown.

Lisa

Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.