Oak Fire bears down on Yosemite and 2,000 homeowners who are REFUSING to evacuate: Wildfire is ‘0% contained’ despite three-day effort of firefighters who ‘haven’t seen fire behavior like this before’

• 
  Dubbed the Oak Fire, the blaze suddenly surfaced Friday and has since spread rapidly – prompting California fire officials to concede Sunday that the inferno was still ‘0 percent contained’ after burning for a fourth day 
•  The fire has since burgeoned into the biggest the state has seen all year, with more than 3,800 ordered to flee their homes in remote communities in the usually scenic Sierra Nevada mountains out of fear for their lives
• Fire officials quelled a few of those fears late Sunday, revealing in a statement that while the fire is still heading toward the park, firefighters made ‘good headway’ against the blaze
• The small towns – which are both within 20 miles of the park and have a combined population of 3,100 – had been set directly in the fire’s path and were both evacuated after the fire surfaced Friday
• Firefighters successfully halted it from reaching the nearby communities of Lushmeadows and Mariposa Pines
• Photos and video footage from the stricken region – a rural landscape home to nearly 18,000 – show the destruction left by the fast-moving inferno
• The fire has since spread east at a rapid rate, putting pressure on officials to contain the out-of-control flames
• At least 10 structures have been destroyed thus far, California fire officials said Sunday, and five heavily damaged – with another 2,000 still at risk 

By ALEX HAMMER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A massive wildfire headed toward Yosemite National Park raged for its fourth straight day Monday – as fire officials reveal they have significantly slowed the spread of the blaze by preventing it from reaching nearby communities.

Dubbed the Oak Fire, the blaze suddenly surfaced Friday and has since spread rapidly – prompting California fire officials to concede Sunday that the inferno was still ‘0 percent contained’ after burning for a third straight day.

However, as of Monday, some progress was made, with firefighters successfully saving several communities from the rapidly spreading flames – despite more than 2,000 locals’ refusal to evacuate the area, as the fire bears down on the national park.

The fire is the biggest the state has seen all year, with more than 3,800 ordered to flee their homes in remote communities in the usually scenic Sierra Nevada mountains out of fear for their lives.

Fire officials quelled a few of those fears late Sunday, revealing in a statement that while the fire is still heading toward the park, firefighters made ‘good headway’ against the blaze, successfully halting it from reaching the nearby communities of Lushmeadows and Mariposa Pines.

On Monday, firefighter continued to fight the flames, keeping it away from the nearby town of Jerseydale. 

Officials added that ‘Fire activity was not as extreme as it has been in previous days – despite the fact that the inferno still bearing down on the storied park, with more than 2,000 in its path defying evacuation orders and remaining in their homes despite repeated warnings.

The statement, delivered by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Sunday night, did put some cold water on locals concerns over the still-raging inferno – which has ravaged 16,803 acres of land and still could threaten 3,300 homes and businesses.+28View gallery

A massive wildfire headed toward Yosemite National Park raged for its fourth straight day Monday – while fire officials revealed they have significantly slowed the spread of the blaze by preventing it from reaching nearby communities+28View gallery

Firefighters mop up hot spots after the Oak Fire continued to move east Monday, narrowly missing two evacuated communities the night before thanks to their efforts+28View gallery

The first responders were able to contain the fire and shield the small communities of Mariposa Pines and Lushmeadows, which are both set between Midpines and Yosemite+28View gallery

The small towns – which are both within 20 miles of the park and have a combined population of 3,100 – had been set directly in the fire’s path and were both evacuated after the fire surfaced Friday, roughly four miles west in the neighboring town of Midpines.

Officials said that through the efforts of more than 2,500 firefighters, first responders were able to contain the fire and shield both communities, which are set between Midpines and Yosemite. 

The fire has since spread east at a rapid rate, putting further pressure on officials to contain the out-of-control flames, as it is now within 10 miles of the sprawling park.

The flames reached as close as a half-mile to the towns Sunday before firefighters were able to halt the spread. Officials said the fire’s progress east has since slowed, but revealed the fire is still racing east toward the park

‘The fire continued to be active, but yesterday afternoon it did slow and moderate,’ Capt. Jon Heggie, a battalion chief at Cal Fire, said of the state of the Oak Fire Monday morning. 

He then added: ‘But the potential for it to grow still exists, and we will continue to fight this fire aggressively.’

As of Sunday night, 10 homes in the area – which has seen unseasonably high temperatures and lack of rainfall as of late, fueling the inferno – had been destroyed, with multiple towns in the fire’s vicinity ordered to evacuate. 

The fire then moved east up into the Sierra at a rapid rate, toward Mariposa Pines and Lushmeadows, in the direction of Yosemite.

As of Monday, the fire is just 10 miles from the park – as more than 2,000 in the fire’s path are refusing to leave their homes.

The state initially ordered more than 6,000 people living across a several-mile span of the sparsely populated area to evacuate. …….more here

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