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U.S. NEWS Friday 21 July 2017
Massive blaze threatens Gold Rush era town near Yosemite

stroyed 45 structures in the hope everything gets back
outskirts of Mariposa. It’s not to normal by next week,”
clear what type of buildings she said. More than 3,000
burned in the wildfire that’s firefighters are battling the
scorched 109 square miles blaze that has forced al-
(282 square kilometers). most 5,000 people from
At least 1,500 homes and homes in and around a
other buildings remain un- half-dozen small commu-
der threat, the California nities. It is 10 percent con-
Department of Forestry and tained. The fire got within
Fire Protection said. a half-mile of Mariposa but
The town of 2,000 people crews have been able to
is located on Highway 140, keep it out of the town by
the main road to Yosem- dropping red retardant on
ite National Park. Only fire the flames burning nearby
trucks and other emergen- slopes and using bulldozers
cy vehicles traveled Thurs- and hand crews to build fire
day on the highway and brakes, Cal Fire spokesman
the town’s main street. Jason Motta. “We saw the
Carol Dewey, who owns a fire come over the ridge on
small bed and breakfast the north side of Mariposa
in downtown Mariposa, and it crested the ridge just
was one of a few business at sundown” when it was
A chimney stands at a burned residence as the Detwiler fire burns near Mariposa, Calif., owners allowed to return cooling down, Motta said,
Wednesday, July 19, 2017. to check on their shops in adding the lower tempera-
(AP Photo/Noah Berger) the town under manda- tures helped fire crews stop
By SCOTT SMITH as ash rained down and The fire has already de- tory evacuation. “We just the wildfire’s progress.q
OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ heavy smoke from a near-
Associated Press by blaze darkened the sky.
MARIPOSA, Calif. (AP) — The five-day blaze in the
The town of Mariposa, with foothills of the Sierra Ne-
its century-old saloons and vada threatened hundreds
covered streets, normally of homes, and historic
bustles with summer visitors buildings, including a wood
on their way to Yosemite courthouse founded in
National Park but on Thurs- 1854 and touted as the old-
day the Gold Rush-era est active courthouse west
hamlet was mostly empty of the Rocky Mountains.

Powerful rain storms causing

damage, flooding in Midwest

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sev- at Ashley Furniture, a major
eral hundred people evac- manufacturer in Arcadia, a
uated their homes early city of 2,900 people about
Thursday in the small west- 45 miles (73 kilometers)
ern Wisconsin community north of La Crosse. Reich-
of Arcadia as heavy rain wein said Turton Creek
sent a creek over its banks. overflowed its banks, also
The waterlogged city was flooding the city’s main
among those affected by thoroughfare, Highway 95.
more widespread storm The Red Cross set up a shel-
damage and flooding in ter at a church for evacu-
Wisconsin and Minnesota ees. Elsewhere in Wisconsin,
that closed roads and trig- a mudslide closed part of
gered mudslides. Thunder- Highway 95 near Fountain
storms in Iowa produced City. Numerous roads in
a possible tornado that Vernon and Buffalo coun-
caused heavy damage to ties were also affected by
buildings in a city near the flooding. In northern Iowa,
Mississippi River. In Wiscon- powerful storms damaged
sin, several hundred people homes, buildings and crop
in the Trempealeau County fields. The National Weath-
city of Arcadia voluntarily er Service said wind gusts
evacuated flooded neigh- to 75 mph and heavy rain
borhoods and the down- were reported Wednesday
town area starting about evening in several loca-
2:30 a.m., Mayor Robert tions, and a tornado was
Reichwein told The Associ- reported 2 miles (3 kilome-
ated Press. The evacuation ters) west-southwest of Fort
included the overnight shift Atkinson. q