The week-old Rim¹ Fire grew to 164 sq miles (424 sq km) by Friday morning, and had burned 17 sq miles at the edge of the park by the afternoon.

 

The blaze has forced scores of tourists to flee during peak season and is threatening thousands of homes.

 

More than 2,000 firefighters have been tackling the flames in difficult terrain². It is just 2% contained. 

 

California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for San Francisco 150 miles away as the blaze is threatening power lines that bring electricity to the city.

 

Two of three hydroelectric power stations serving the city have been shut down.

 

The city's water supplies could also be hit if a reservoir, four miles from the fire, is affected³.

 

 

The blaze has reached Yosemite's backcountry（偏远地区） at Lake Eleanor, which is accessible by hiking trails, park spokeswoman Kari Cobb told the Associated Press news agency.

 

"It's not a very visited part of the park, even though it is very beautiful," she said, adding the fire was some 20 miles away from Yosemite's main tourist area. 

 

Ms Cobb said the park service was "not anywhere near" to closing the attraction.

 

The blaze has shut a stretch of motorway⁴ that is one of three entrances to the west side of the park, which receives up to 15,000 visitors a day in the summer. 

 

The Rim Fire is one of 50 major wildfires burning in the western US.

 

The blaze began a week ago in Stanislaus National Forest, west of Yosemite, and has so far destroyed only a handful of homes and outbuildings.

 

But a spokeswoman for the US Forest Service said 4,500 homes, hotels, businesses and several campsites were under threat as of Friday, up from 2,500 the day before.

 

Evacuation advisories⁵ have been issued to nearby communities.

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