USA California: Over 1,000 firefighters battle wildfire near Yosemite park

Image: AP. 

More than 1,300 firefighters a tackling a huge wildfire near Yosemite National Park, California, which threatens over 2,500 homes and has forced hundreds of tourists to flee. The Rim fire, which had been blazing for a week, tripled in size on Thursday and now spans at least 84 square miles - firefighters have only managed to contain 1% of it. A state of emergency has been declared by California's governor because of the blaze, one of 50 wildfires in the Western United States, with Lee Bentley of the US Fire Service telling CBS news: "We've got a monster on our hands".  The fire has not yet reached Yosemite National Park and the Park remains open, officials say. It is currently centered on Stanislaus National Forest, and has so far destroyed two homes and seven outbuildings. Authorities are warning that at least 2,500 homes, hotels, businesses and several campsites are under threat, with officers going door to door in the community of Pine Mountain Lake, urging people to leave. Local residents say the area, usually full of tourists, is now empty.