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California: Emergency declared as wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park
![Emergency declared as wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park]()
California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County Emergency declared as wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park
California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Saturday after a fast-moving wildfire near Yosemite national park exploded in size, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people.
A state of emergency has been declared in part of California as the largest active wildfire in the US rapidly spreads near Yosemite National Park.
The Oak Fire has quickly grown since starting on Friday, and firefighters have struggled to get the blaze under control.
"Explosive fire behaviour is challenging firefighters", California's fire department said.
More than 6,000 people have been evacuated and 10 homes destroyed.
The state of emergency, which has been declared in Mariposa County, will allow the state to access some federal assistance to tackle the fires.
Around 400 firefighters and four helicopters have been deployed to fight the blaze. Natasha Fouts, a spokeswoman for CalFire, said officials don't expect to contain the fire until next week.
