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09:11, 20-Jul-2017
Thousands evacuated as wildfire near Yosemite doubles in size
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A raging wildfire has forced over 4,000 residents near the Yosemite National Park in California to leave their houses, as the inferno grew in size overnight on Wednesday.
The fire broke out on Sunday and has engulfed more than 180 square kilometers, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A firefighter sprays water on the fire in Mariposa, California, July 18, 2017. /VCG Photo
A firefighter sprays water on the fire in Mariposa, California, July 18, 2017. /VCG Photo
About 2,200 firefighters are battling the blaze, but the dense vegetation and steep terrain in the area make firefighting difficult.
The governor of California Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and deployed more resources to tackle the blaze that is expected to continue burning.
9675km