Raging Wildfire Prompts Evacuation Order in Town Near Yosemite National Park

A section of Mariposa County High School burns in Mariposa, Calif., in the early hours of July 5, 2024. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

A blistering heat wave has fueled several fires across California including a blaze that started on the Fourth of July near a small town at the entrance of Yosemite National Park.

About 1,000 residents in Mariposa, just 30 miles west of the national park, remained under mandatory evacuation orders Friday as the French Fire grew to nearly 850 acres, or 1.3 square miles, by Friday afternoon.

One person who traveled through Mariposa on Thursday said large paper X’s were left on doors notifying residents of evacuation warnings, according to a post on social media Friday.

Mariposa County sheriff’s deputies were in the areas under evacuation, making door-to-door notifications, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The American Red Cross opened an evacuation shelter at New Life Christian Church on Cole Road in Bootjack, about five miles from Mariposa.

Retired federal fire official and fire consultant Mark Ruggiero, of Mariposa, said Thursday the fire was running parallel to the town of Mariposa to the south. Crews were working to keep it out of the city, he added.

The town was surviving the fire Friday, according to Mr. Ruggiero.

“Mariposa town is alive and well this morning,” Mr. Ruggiero wrote on X Friday. “Smoky! Fire crews did an excellent job on protecting the town. Lots of work to be done.”

Crews gained some ground overnight, reaching 5 percent containment of the fire’s perimeter by Friday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.

“Dozers and hand crews worked hard to establish a fire line around the entire eastern side of the community of Mariposa,” Cal Fire reported. “As the fire activity is moderated, firefighters will continue to focus on the eastern side of the fire.”

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, officials reported.

The French Fire burns a hillside above Mariposa, Calif., on  July 5, 2024. Noah Berger/AP Photo

Hot weather

Mariposa County also opened cooling centers, including one at the Mariposa Library, to help evacuees and residents stay out of the heat, which reached 102 degrees Friday afternoon. The region remained under an excessive heat warning as a sizzling heat wave settled over the state.

Temperatures will rise even more over the weekend, peaking at 107 degrees Saturday and 106 on Sunday before dipping slightly Monday to 104 degrees, according to Meteorologist Antoinette Serrato, at the National Weather Service’s Hanford, California, office, which covers the region.

“Temperatures will stay above 100 through next Thursday, at least,” Ms. Serrato said. “This kind of heat is pretty dangerous for people, so people should try to stay inside during the hottest time of the day and drink plenty of water.”

The area will also have relatively low humidity, which can be dangerous for fire conditions, she added.

Winds had calmed, which has helped firefighters make progress overnight, according to Cal Fire. But weather forecasters expect wind gusts as high as 15 miles per hour later Friday, according to Ms. Serrato.

Power outage

More than 3,100 customers in Mariposa County were additionally without power Friday afternoon after the fire damaged some equipment, according to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).

“The outages were at the request of Cal Fire to make the area safe for firefighters,” PG&E Spokeswoman Evelyn Escalera told The Epoch Times.

The utility’s on-site crews will start assessing the situation when it is safe to do so and repair the damaged equipment to restore customers impacted by the fire.

“We have an estimated restoration time of tonight for some customers,” Ms. Escalera said.