A gold rush-era tourist destination in California is being threatened by a wildfire that has already destroyed 58 homes.
The Town of Mariposa, a destination for many visitors on the way to Yosemite National Park, known for its covered sidewalks and historic wood and brick buildings, is being threatened by the “Detwiler Fire.”
DEVELOPING: California Gov. Jerry Brown declares state of emergency in Mariposa County due to #DetwilerFire, which has grown to 25,000 acres pic.twitter.com/jAXbbIzuR7
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 19, 2017
The massive fire has torched over 70,000 acres, with smoke plumes reaching as far away as Idaho.
It has forced the evacuation of the entire town.
View from Merced, looking towards Mariposa. #DetwilerFire pic.twitter.com/1305eGHwXA
— Executive Edge (@PolicyPlease) July 19, 2017
Via ABC News:
The town of Mariposa, with its century-old saloons and covered sidewalks, normally bustles with summer visitors on their way to Yosemite National Park but the Gold Rush-era hamlet was mostly empty as ash rained down and heavy smoke from a nearby blaze darkened the sky.
The blaze in the Sierra Nevada foothills threatened hundreds of homes and historic buildings, including a wood courthouse founded in 1854 and touted as the oldest active courthouse west of the Rocky Mountains.
The fire did not grow significantly overnight, but state fire officials said Friday that 58 homes and 60 outbuildings have been destroyed. The wildfire has scorched 115 square miles (298 square kilometers), threatening at least 1,500 homes.
A man sits in a lawn chair at his home as flames from the Detwiler fire approach the town of Mariposa, California pic.twitter.com/6lLxZsfdCi
— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 19, 2017
Over 3,800 firefighters have been trying to contain the blaze which came within a half-mile of Mariposa.
According to Cal Fire spokesman Jason Motta, crews were able to keep the fire from hitting the town by dropping red retardant and using bulldozers and hand crews to build fire brakes.
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