'This fire was throwing embers out in front of itself for up to two miles yesterday. These are exceptional fire conditions.'
ballooned from 1,600 to 11,900 acres in a single day, forcing thousands of people in Mariposa County to evacuate their homes.
The Oak Fire began on Friday afternoon near Midpines, a town about 20 miles south of the Yosemite National Park gateway of El Portal. Scorching temperatures paired with low humidity have helped the fire erupt through dry vegetation and dead trees. Over 6,000 people in the area have been forced to evacuate. Cal Fire estimates 2,693 structures are currently threatened; 10 structures have been destroyed and five damaged.
On Friday evening, the Oak Fire was mapped at 1,600 acres. As of the last acreage update on Saturday night, it's now 11,900 acres. On Saturday, the"fire grew significantly in the northern section, moving further into Sierra National Forest," Cal Fire said in an."On the west side of the fire, crews were able to keep the fire west of Highway 140." Fire crews have no containment.
"The fire is moving quickly. This fire was throwing embers out in front of itself for up to two miles yesterday," Sierra National Forest spokesperson Daniel Patterson said Saturday."These are exceptional fire conditions." The Oak Fire is now 9,100+ acres. Clearly the Fire wants to push into the heat of the day as it continues to nuke off hillsides. This footage taken recently shows the fire pushing North and East. Thank you to the individual who sent this footage in.
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