Evacuations ordered as new California wildfire ignites in scorching heat wave
Scorching temperatures on the Fourth of July fueled wildfires in California that have burned through the night.
Scorching temperatures on the Fourth of July fueled wildfires in California, as warnings from meteorologists that the coming days could see dangerously hot weather.
With much of the country in the grip of a heat wave that is set to break records and make conditions dangerously hot, a large blaze near Yosemite National Park has triggered evacuations and forced hospital patients to shelter in place.
The French Fire, in Mariposa County, California, began Thursday. It was 20% contained by Friday night, having burned through 908 acres, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Some residents of Mariposa were allowed to return home by Friday evening, but an evacuation warning and mandatory evacuation order remained in place for other areas.
Footage taken in the area and posted to social media showed the sky illuminated bright orange by huge flames, amid enormous clouds of smoke. Another video showed a plane dropping fire retardant over a forested area near Mariposa on Thursday.
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