LOS ANGELES — A combination of heat, low humidity and parched vegetation continues to bedevil firefighters battling an inferno burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Yosemite that has forced thousands to flee their homes.
The Oak fire started Friday near Midpines and had grown to 14,281 acres as of early Sunday, making it California’s largest blaze so far this season and prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for Mariposa County.
Although not as large or destructive as the August Complex fire in 2020 or the Dixie fire in 2021, experts worry the Oak fire is the start of what could be a particularly difficult wildfire season in California.
