Wildfires Increasing

MARIPOSA, Calif. — Visitors to Yosemite National Park weighed whether to cut their vacations short Tuesday as a destructive wildfire raging miles from the famed wilderness threatened thousands of homes and left evacuees stranded. Authorities said late Monday the blaze tearing through a steep, dry river canyon had destroyed 25 homes, more than double the number reported earlier in the day. The fire has forced the evacuation of about 300 homes in the nearby towns of Midpines and Coulterville and is endangering as many as 4,000 others. More than 46 square miles of mostly wilderness terrain have burned since a target shooter sparked the wildfire on Friday. The fire was 10% contained Monday night as it burned about 12 miles from Yosemite National Park, which remained open.

• JJ Commentary: This year continues the trend of increasing wildfire damage, with the average acreage burned for the last five years (4,464,408 acres) almost double the preceding five years (2,592,000 acres), another end-times sign.