A man-made wildfire is raging near California's Yosemite National Park, threatening thousands of homes in the latest large-scale blaze to ravage the state.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said 2,000 homes were at risk from the fire, which has already gutted 12 homes, scorched 10,574 hectares, and injured three people.
The blaze, which was triggered by people target shooting on Friday, is burning in the rugged forest and scrubland of the Sierra Nevada foothills in Mariposa County, around 40km west of Yosemite.
Around 2,500 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the fire, which comes after a month-long firestorm across California that scorched more than one 400,000 hectares since 20 June.
California is frequently hit by scorching wildfires due to its dry climate and Santa Ana winds.
Added to this is recent housing booms that have seen housing spread rapidly into rural and densely forested areas.
In October, devastating wildfires were among the worst in California history, leaving eight people dead, destroying 2,000 homes, displacing 640,000 people and causing $1bn in damage.
