SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Washburn Fire burning in Yosemite National Park has grown significantly to over 700 acres, fire officials reported Saturday morning.
The fire grew about 300 acres in the one day since evacuations began. More than 200 fire personnel are working to put out the flames, with more expected to arrive in the coming days.
The fire broke out Thursday afternoon near the Washburn Trail near Mariposa Grove, home to about 500 giant sequoia trees and the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite. The grove, located in the southern part of Yosemite, was evacuated and remains temporarily closed. Crews began to wrap some of the trees with foil wrap on Friday to preserve them and prevent them from burning.
