MARIPOSA, Calif. -- A blaze burning in foothills west of Yosemite National Park destroyed dozens of structures and forced thousands to flee Gold Rush-era towns but fire crews have been able to stop it from reaching a threatened community on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
California fire officials say 29 structures have been destroyed by the blaze burning in the rugged mountains outside of Yosemite National Park.
It is not clear how many of those structures are homes.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the fire on Wednesday also grew to 75 square miles (194 square kilometres). Containment remains at 7 per cent.
More than 3,000 firefighters are fighting the wildfire, which is about 35 miles (56 kilometres) west of Yosemite.
The park remained opened Wednesday.
