Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Heat, Terrain Hinder Efforts to Fight Fire Near Yosemite

by VOA News

   A wildfire raging at the edge of Yosemite National Park is thwarting
   firefighting efforts as temperatures soar in California.

   The U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday the inferno has scorched more than
   49 square kilometers (19 square miles) of steep terrain on the park's
   western edge. It is 5 percent contained.

   The temperatures have risen to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees
   Fahrenheit), and the dry, hot spell is expected to continue for the
   rest of the week.

   The fire in California's Mariposa County started Friday and has shut
   down a key route into the park at the height of tourist season.
   Officials have ordered mandatory evacuations in nearby communities.

   On Saturday, a heavy equipment operator died on the fire line trying to
   dig a trench to keep the flames from extending into a nearby community.

   The weather conditions and steep terrain hindered attempts to reach the
   body of Braden Varney, 36, until Monday.