A fire that claimed the life of one firefighter and injured two others near California's Yosemite national park has almost doubled in size in three days, authorities said Friday.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the so-called Ferguson fire had spread to an area of 22,892 acres (92.6 square kilometers), and is so far only 7 percent contained.

More than 2,700 people are tackling the blaze, which started a week ago in the Sierra Nevada forest. Currently, there is no prediction as to when it will be completely contained.

Two firefighters were injured days after their colleague Braden Varney, 36, was killed while fighting the fire.

The fire has been fueled by dead trees -- 27 million have died in the last year, and 62 million the year before after years of drought -- as well as leaves and grass dried out by the heat.

Evacuations were ordered in several communities, and in other areas the state fire agency Calfire advised residents to prepare to flee with scorching temperatures expected in coming days.

The fierce blaze has also forced the closure of a motorway and one of the entrances into Yosemite, famed for its ancient giant sequoia trees.

Along with California, the states of Alaska, Colorado and Oregon have suffered the highest numbers of fires.

However, the season has begun with less force than last year's, which saw unprecedented blazes devastate California homes in Santa Barbara and Napa Valley wine country, leaving some 40 people dead.

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

China detains suspects after blast at chemical plant
Beijing (AFP) July 14, 2018
Authorities have detained "several" suspects in wake of an explosion at a chemical plant in southwest China that left 19 dead and injured 12 others, state media said. The blast occurred at 6:30 pm (1030 GMT) Thursday at an industrial park in Sichuan province's Yibin city, according to a statement on the website of the local work safety administration. Photos on a local news website showed what appeared to be the burned out shell of a building surrounded by rubble. The building was owned by ... read more