Firefighters are still battling it out to help quell the raging wildfires in California and at present the crews are trying to get better access to a wildfire near Yosemite National Park that is located in deep and treacherous terrain.

Over 900 residents of some 400 homes have been evacuated so far since the fire started Sunday afternoon.  So far the blaze has destroyed one home and damaged around two dozen other structures.  200 homes in Orange County’s Silverado Canyon had been earmarked for evacuation but that order was lifted as the firefighter teams finally contained over 80% of the blaze on late Sunday.

Overall, well over 1,200 people were asked or forced out of their homes during the two blazes.  The fires started around 1:30 pm on Sunday near Brass Lake in Central California.  Authorities quickly had to issue orders for around 1,000 people to evacuate.  Damage in the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the ground battle information.  They reported that the fire initially started on a road outside of Oakhurst which is a foothill community located south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park.  It spread to to the edge of Bass lake propelled by winds and quickly charred over 320 acres.  At present the fire is only 20-30% contained.

A popular tourist and recreation area, the lakeside area is active year round.  To help out the Red Cross has opened a shelter at the Oakhurst Community Center.

Quick to go into action, Gov. Jerry Brown secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover 75 percent of the cost of fire fighting according to state officials.

Even farther north another wildfire about 60 miles east of Sacramento forced the evacuation of 133 homes.  The Sheriff of El Dorado County stated that residents from 400 plus more homes are prepared to evacuate as well.  The fire started on Saturday in a remote area but went full blaze by Sunday deep inside a canyon full of thick, dry brush thus burning up 4 square miles.  That fire is only over 10 percent contained.

So far six firefighters have suffered only minor injuries, mostly from the hot temperatures that are over 100 degrees.

As news of these fires spreads so do the fires themselves.  In the Sierra Nevada foothills between Sacramento and Reno another 250 acres burned, destroying only a few structures.  In addition hundreds of other homes are threatened by the fires.  In Mendocino County a 400 plus acre fire also destroyed a few structures but was last reported at 50 percent contained.