Oak Fire Destroys 74 Structures Near Yosemite, Containment Grows

JERSEYDALE, CA — The number of structures damaged or destroyed by the Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park continues to grow, as does the containment line around the fire.

By 8:09 a.m. Wednesday, Cal Fire reported that 74 structures had been destroyed with another nine damaged. The structures may include homes, businesses and outbuildings, such as barns or sheds.

No injuries or deaths have been confirmed by Cal Fire.

On a positive note, the 18,715-acre wildfire is now 32 percent contained, up from zero containment just two days ago.

Evacuation orders remained in effect Wednesday for some residents in the path of California's largest wildfire of 2022.

See: Oak Fire Devastation In 11 Photos

As crews continued to cut lines around the fire, they were hampered by poor visibility, Cal Fire said Wednesday morning.

"Crews continue work around communities, patrolling for hot spots, providing structure defense, and building of direct fire line in very steep and rugged terrain," the agency said on its incident web page.

State Highway 140 through Mariposa County to Yosemite National Park remained open, but that could change if conditions warrant a closure.

Tuesday, firefighters caught a break from increased humidity and lower temperatures as monsoonal moisture moved through the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Crews struggled with rugged terrain making part of the fire area inaccessible to bulldozers and requiring fire lines to be cut by hand, Cal Fire said.

About 6,000 residents from mountain communities were still under evacuation orders, although a few places were downgraded to advisories Tuesday afternoon.

Heavy smoke from the fire drifted to Lake Tahoe, parts of Nevada and the San Francisco Bay Area, officials said. Air quality advisories remained in effect in the Bay Area as a result of the smoke.

The fire erupted Friday southwest of Yosemite, near the town of Midpines. It exploded in size Saturday as flames churned through tinder-dry brush and trees amid the worst drought in decades.

California has experienced increasingly larger and deadlier wildfires in recent years as climate change has made the West much warmer and drier over the past 30 years. Scientists have said the weather will continue to be more extreme and wildfires more frequent, destructive and unpredictable.

As the Oak Fire remained active, firefighters also made progress against an earlier blaze that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias in the southernmost part of Yosemite. The Washburn Fire, spanning a 7.6-square-mile area, was 91 percent contained Tuesday after burning for more than two weeks and moving into the Sierra National Forest.

Oak Firefighting Effort By The Numbers

• 66 crews
• 3,154 total personnel
• 22 helicopters
• 286 engines
• 94 dozers
• 68 water tenders

SEE ALSO: CA's 'New Normal': Wildfires Char 3.1M Acres In State in 2021

Also see:

• Oak Fire Devastation In 11 Photos
• Fast-Moving Oak Fire Burns Over 15K Acres, Forces Thousands To Flee
• Thousands Lose Power As 'Oak Fire' Grows To 9,500 Acres, 0% Contained
• Bay Area Air Quality Advisory Extended Through Wednesday
• Wildfire Smoke Triggers Air Quality Advisory For Monday In Bay Area

The Associated Press contributed to this report