New evacuation ordered in Ferguson Fire’s path

New evacuations were ordered Wednesday for areas in the path of the Ferguson Fire burning near Yosemite National Park.

The order was issued for the Lushmeadows area on the north side of Triangle Road from Vista Lago to East Westfall and all side roads to the north, the north side of East Westfall to Old Mill and all side roads to the north.

Park officials ordered closure of Yosemite Tuesday due to the fire, effective at noon Wednesday. Visitors can exit the park on Highways 120 and 41. A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Greeley Hill Community Center. Representatives of the U.S. Forest Service, CalFire and the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office will provide an overview of the fire situation.

The order for additional evacuations came as firefighters managed to contain about 25 percent of the fire, which grew by 727 acres overnight to a total of 38,522 acres.

Along the southern perimeter of the fire, firefighters continued to build a wider containment buffer. Along the western perimeter, no significant growth of the blaze took place as winds from the west continue to aid firefighters in containment.

The fire started July 13 near El Portal in the Merced River Canyon. Highway 140, the route through the canyon from Mariposa to Yosemite, remains closed.

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This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 7:34 AM with the headline "New evacuation ordered in Ferguson Fire’s path."