Wildfire near Yosemite National Park explodes in size, prompting evacuations

A fast-moving wildfire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size Saturday and prompted evacuations even as firefighters made progress against an earlier blaze that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias.

The Oak Fire, which began Friday afternoon southwest of the park near Midpines in Mariposa County, grew to 10.2 square miles (26.5 square kilometers) by Saturday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

"Explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters," Cal Fire said in a statement Saturday morning that described the fire activity as "extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group torching."