Campers Flee as Fire Burns Near Ski Area
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MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. — An out-of-control fire in the Inyo National Forest on Saturday destroyed 500 acres of pine, forced the evacuation of campers and threatened homes, officials said. More firefighters were being called in.
Northeast winds were pushing the fire away from the town of Mammoth Lakes in the popular ski area, but local, state and federal fire officials were worried that a wind shift could mean the loss of homes, Ray Schaaf of the U.S. Forest Service said.
“If the wind moves around on us, we’ve got trouble,” Schaaf said.
The mountainous and densely forested area is about 40 miles from the Nevada border and 20 miles southeast of Yosemite National Park. The fire is believed to have started in mid-afternoon.
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