California: Forest fire threatens Yosemite National Park | tagesschau.de

] Near Yosemite National parks in California have been raging for days and continue to spread. Weather conditions complicate the work of extinction. Tourists should postpone visits.

A forest fire in the state of California is spreading out of control near the famous Yosemite National Park. The flames fought their way through more than 50 square kilometers of forest in the Sierra National Forest to the west of the park for several days, the California Fire Department said on Twitter. Only five percent of the fire has been confined so far. 1700 firefighters were on duty

Dry trees burn like tinder

On weekends, a firefighter had been killed in the fire fighting. The fire is declared near El Portal, about 300 kilometers east of San Francisco, on Friday. Since then, it is raging in rugged terrain with many dead trees. Conifers, who succumbed to prolonged drought and pest infestations, looked like tinder, according to experts from the United States Department of Forests

Dry Weather and Winds from the west could fire on the national park. The isolated houses and hotels were cleaned as a precaution. However, it should not extend to inhabited areas of Mariposa district. Last year, a forest fire destroyed dozens of homes in the same area.

Visitors were advised not to visit the National Park because of the harmful exposure to smoke.