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   From: real_geniuses@latimes.com   
      
   In article    
   forging asshole  wrote:   
   >   
   > Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., misrepresented his wildfire preparedness and   
   even disinvested in prevention.   
   >   
      
   Due to the fires in Yosemite National Park, the U.S. Forest   
   Service is taking emergency action to save the giant sequoias   
      
   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.   
      
   Evacuation orders were put in effect Saturday for over 6,000   
   people living in the sparsely populated, rural area.   
      
   "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."   
      
   As of Saturday morning, the fire had destroyed 10 residential   
   and commercial structures and damaged five more, and was   
   threatening 2,000 more structures, Cal Fire said.   
      
   The fast-growing blaze prompted Caltrans to order numerous road   
   closures, including a shutdown of Highway 140 between Carstens   
   Road and Allred Road — blocking one of the main routes into   
   Yosemite National Park.   
      
   Hot weather and bone dry vegetation caused by the worst drought   
   in decades was fueling the blaze and challenging fire crews,   
   said Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National   
   Forest.   
      
   "The fire is moving quickly. This fire was throwing embers out   
   in front of itself for up to 2 miles yesterday," Patterson said.   
   "These are exceptional fire conditions."   
      
   A shoeless older man attempting to flee crashed his sedan into a   
   ditch in a closed area and was helped by firefighters. He was   
   safely driven from the area and did not appear to suffer any   
   injuries. Several other residents stayed in their homes Friday   
   night as the fire continued to burn nearby.   
      
   Pacific Gas & Electric said on its website that more than 2,600   
   homes and businesses in the area had lost power by Friday   
   afternoon and there was no indication when it would be restored.   
      
   "PG&E is unable to access the affected equipment," the company   
   said.   
      
   There’s no immediate word on what sparked the fire.   
      
   On Friday, firefighters reported that they have been able to   
   contain 79% of the initial wildfire, the Washburn Fire.   
      
   The fire, in the lower Mariposa Grove area near the Washburn   
   trail, forced the evacuation of the community of Wowona and   
   endangered hundreds of giant sequoias, the world's largest trees   
   by volume.   
      
   Wawona Road is tentatively set to reopen on Saturday, according   
   to the park website.   
      
   Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service announced Friday it's taking   
   emergency action to save giant sequoias by speeding up projects   
   to protect the trees from the increasing threat of wildfires.   
      
   The Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act was introduced by a bipartisan   
   group of congressman including House Republican leader Kevin   
   McCarthy.   
      
   The SOS acts calls for intentionally lighting smaller trees and   
   vegetation during damp conditions with firefighters monitoring.   
      
   "The Forest Service’s action today is an important step forward   
   for Giant Sequoias, but without addressing other barriers to   
   protecting these groves, this emergency will only continue," the   
   group said. "It’s time to codify this action by establishing a   
   true comprehensive solution to fireproof every grove in   
   California through the SOS Act and save our sequoias."   
      
   This emergency action could cut years off the normal approval   
   process required to cut smaller trees in national forests and   
   use intentionally low-intensity fires to reduce dense brush. The   
   dense underbrush aids wildfires to spread rapidly.   
      
   "Without urgent action, wildfires could eliminate countless more   
   iconic giant sequoias," Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in   
      
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