The raging Rim Fire that's been burning out of control since Saturday leapt into Yosemite National Park on Friday, with the total acreage count so far put at 105,620 acres, nearly doubling in size overnight.
Miraculously, no one has been hurt and only nine buildings have burned. Still, the rugged terrain and hot weather conditions have proved to be terribly difficult for nearly 2,000 firefighters trying to contain the blaze located on the mountain rims of the Stanislaus National Forest. Until Friday, the fire had stayed on the outskirts of Yosemite National Park.
"The biggest challenge is the fire itself," Lee Bentley of the U.S. Forest Service told NBC Bay Area on Thursday. "It's just too doggone dangerous."
- RAW VIDEO: Rim Fire Rages Near Yosemite National Park
The size and scope of the wildfire prompted California Gov. Jerry Brown to issue an emergency proclamation Thursday afternoon.
And several communities had been asked to voluntarily leave their homes.
"I'm a little shook up," said Groveland, Calif. resident Fred Faiella who had to find a safe place to sleep. "But it's in God's hands. I just gotta let what happens, happen."
In addition to the state plea for help, the city of San Francisco on Thursday also officially declared a state of emergency. Mayor Ed Lee said the fire damaged power and communications assets owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission as part of the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power System.
The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park provides water to 2.6 million Bay Area residents and businesses, as well as hydroelectric power for city services, though there has been no impact yet.
Earlier this week, officials closed a four-mile stretch of Highway 120 into Yosemite National Park, though the park itself remained opened. Visitors could take a detour into the park using state Routes 140 and 4. Those closures were still in effect on Friday.
And for the last week, camps frequented by Bay Area residents such as Camp Tawonga, San Jose Family Camp, Berkeley Tuolumne Camp and San Francisco’s Mather Camp were also asked to evacuate and shut down their programs.
According to an incident command page, the fire is a bear to fight. The terrain is “inaccessible” and steep, and the smoke within the deep drainage of the Clavey River is a cause of concern for firefighters. The fire is spreading up the Tuolumne River canyon.
More than 1,800 personnel were braving the fire. Those include several units from the Bay Area, including firefighters from Berkeley, Redwood City, San Francisco, as well as crews from Alameda, Santa Clara, Marin and Contra Costa counties. Teams from the California National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing from Moffett Field in Mountain View have also been dispatched to help.
NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez and Lori Preuitt contributed to this report.
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