State of emergency as wildfire nears Yosemite National Park

A state of emergency has been declared in Mariposa County, California after a wildfire moved towards the Yosemite National Park undented.

The Oak Fire has only grown in size after erupting on Friday. Firefighters have been busy combating the spread but have failed so far.

Almost 12,000 acres of land has been burned by the wildfire. Around ten homes have been destroyed, with over 3,000 6,000 people forced to evacuate. The Oak Fire is currently the largest active fire in the US at the moment.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Mariposa County. The Oak Fire has been given a boost by the dry weather and drought conditions.

The Yosemite National Park is home to the oldest redwood trees in the World, and it is located to the north-east of where the Oak Fire is currently lit.

The US is suffering from a heatwave and temperatures in Mariposa County have spiked up to 96F. Firefighters have already managed to save the redwood trees from another fire earlier this month and we pray they succeed in stopping the Oak Fire as well.