Yosemite Still Under Fire

By Pamela Mortimer

As of Sunday night, only 10% of the forest fires at Yosemite National Park were contained. Hot weather hampered the efforts of firefighters who were trying to battle the fast moving wildfire that has already destroyed 12 homes and caused at least 200 people to evacuate.

The blaze is responsible for charring more than 26,000 acres since Friday, assisted by the hot, dry weather that has plagued California for several months.

Officials determined that 195 homes were "under immediate threat" and ordered the residents to evacuate. Some refused to leave, wanting to try and save their property. Nearly 2,000 homes could suffer effects of the fast-spreading flames, said Wayne Barringer, a state fire spokesman on the scene.

Most of the homes that were evacuated are located in Midpines, about 12 miles from the entrance to the park. Residents in Mariposa, located about 2 miles from the park on the southern side of the park, are keeping a close watch on the progress of the fires.

"My house is about 100 yards from some fire right now and that's freaking me out," said John Romero, who answered questions from reporters on Sunday evening.

Romero said his brother, Tony Romero, has a property adjacent to his, complete with a 50,000-gallon swimming pool. If the fires advance any farther, the Romeros plan to use the water to save their homes.

John Romero said the air was so thick with smoke that it was making his work difficult. "I feel like I've smoked two packs of cigarettes, and I don't smoke," Romero said.

The cause of the fires has been determined to be the result of sparks created from firearms taking target practice. Officials would not elaborate.

Mary Ann Porter, a nursing assistant who lives in Midpines, was forced to leave her chickens, goats and dog when she evacuated her home on Sunday morning. Porter, who lives with her daughter and her grandchildren, said they managed to take family pictures and their computer hard drives.

"One of the blessings of living up here is that you adapt and learn to accept things," she said.

James Guidi Jr., a spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric, said the electricity had been cut off to a large region, because a transmission line that fed power to Yosemite was destroyed on Saturday. Firefighters cut the area's power grid for to ensure safety of the residents. To combat the darkness, mobile generators were being set up to restore power to the park and about 500 households in the vicinity.