National

Yosemite wildfire doubles in size, could 'become a major threat'

A deadly, uncontrolled California wildfire more than doubled in size and was raging through more than 14 square miles of brush and forest on Monday, forcing closure of a key access road into Yosemite National Park at the height of tourist season.

Fire officials had not determined the cause of the blaze that began burning Friday night along the park's western edge, where evacuation orders were issued for a handful of small communities. Hundreds of firefighters were battling the blaze, which was only 2 percent contained.

John DeYoe, spokesman for inter-agency effort combating the Ferguson Fire, said a "massive order" of firefighters, engines and other gear were rolling in Monday.

"We had extreme fire behavior overnight," he said. "It caught a couple of drainages (low-lying areas) and ran."

More communities are being warned that mandatory evacuations are coming soon "so get your stuff ready," DeYoe said.

The Yosemite Cedar Lodge, which sits on park grounds, is normally buzzing this time of year. A mandatory evacuation order has emptied it.

“You can’t see anything, it’s so smoky outside. It’s crazy,” front desk clerk Spencer Arebalo said.

Firefighter Braden Varney, 36 and a married father of two, was killed Saturday when his bulldozer rolled over, authorities said.

The fire is one of dozens burning across California and the West as the region struggles with high temperatures that have dramatically increased fire danger. The steep, rugged terrain has added to challenges facing the Ferguson Fire team.

"Weather is expected to remain hot and dry for the next seven days, with isolated thunderstorms possible," Michael Strawhun, South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team, warned in his incident report.

Throughout Washington, Oregon, Northern California and much of the interior Northwest temperatures will persist at above-average levels through at least the first half of the week, according to AccuWeather. By the end of the week, cooler weather is expected to infiltrate the Pacific Northwest, limiting daily high temperatures to more comfortable levels.

In Yosemite, a two-mile section of State Route 140 was shut down as firefighters worked to form a fire line along the highway. The park remained opened, but visitors were flagged with warnings.

"Due to the road closure on Highway 140, expect long wait times on Highway 41 at the south entrance to Yosemite National Park," the park said on Twitter, adding that "visitors who are sensitive to smoke should plan to limit any strenuous outdoor activities or plan to visit the park another time."

UCLA climatologist Daniel Swain warns that the fire is "likely to burn for many days and may eventually become a major threat" to the 1,200 square-mile park in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The flames are burning brush and timber in steep, inaccessible terrain. Pacific Gas and Electric has de-energized its power lines that run through the fire area so there’s no electricity in the Yosemite, El Portal and Foresta regions.

More than 1 million acres across the country are currently part of active wildfires, according to federal officials. More than 3.3 million acres have been burned, slightly ahead of the national average over the last decade for this time of year.

Contributing: Mike Chapman, Trevor Hughes, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY Network; The Associated Press