The Washburn fire broke out on July 7 and is one of dozens of forest fires raging in the drought-stricken southwestern United States. It has spread and now, according to the authorities, covers about 15 square kilometers.
In Yosemite and the Sierra National Forest are some of the world’s oldest mammoth trees, including the 3,000-year-old “Grizzly Giant”, and firefighters have set up sprinklers to protect them. Some of Yosemite’s iconic landmarks have been scorched but survived, according to fire officials.
Hundreds of visitors and residents have been evacuated from the small community of Wawona.
So far this year, about 1.9 million acres in the United States have been ravaged by forest fires, far exceeding the average year, according to federal fire officials.