The so-called Bridge fire that started Friday afternoon is already threatening hundreds of homes. The blaze in Mariposa County is one of many large fires burning in drought-stricken California. Officials say this weekend's conditions will make the danger even greater.
The Bridge fire has moved quickly, and officials say it now threatens hundreds of homes near Yosemite National Park. (You can follow the state's wildfire season on member station KPCC's Fire Tracker).
NPR's Nathan Rott reports:
"The Bridge fire started started sometime Friday afternoon, quickly growing to about 300 acres.
"'It's currently threatening 700 homes and about five businesses in the Ponderosa Basin,' says CalFire spokeswoman Karen Guilleman-Kanawyer.
"Firefighters had contained about a quarter of the fire by Saturday morning, but hot temperatures and dry vegetation continue to make for dangerous conditions.
"Further north, near the California-Oregon border, firefighters on the 88,000-acre Happy Camp Complex are bracing for worse conditions.
"The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for high winds and low humidity in that area until late Saturday night."
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