Thousands evacuated as fire west of Yosemite grows to 48,000 acres

MARIPOSA — Gold Country’s southernmost town, a collection of old saloons and bygone buildings that now peddle mostly ice cream and local wine to tourists, stood nearly empty Wednesday as a raging wildfire just west of Yosemite forced thousands to flee.

Flames from the fast-moving Detwiler Fire were tearing across a grassy ridgeline just above the 1850s-era community, burning homes as it charred some 48,000 acres of foothills to the north and leaving residents and visitors anxious about the fate of historical Mariposa.

Firefighters with Cal Fire continue to battle the Detwiler Fire on the outskirts of Mariposa, Ca., on Wednesday July 19, 2017. Firefighters with Cal Fire continue to battle the Detwiler Fire on the outskirts of Mariposa, Ca., on Wednesday July 19, 2017. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 127 Caption Close Thousands evacuated as fire west of Yosemite grows to 48,000 acres 1 / 127 Back to Gallery

“This is not good. This is not good,” said Charlotte Allen, as she took in the frightening sight of thick smoke passing by the Miner’s Inn, where she worked the front desk and was yet to evacuate. “We always get fires, but never this close.”

Firefighters, aided by about 20 helicopters and planes, were waging a fevered battle to keep the blaze from pushing into the 2,000-person city. Already 29 structures had burned, but another 4,000 homes and businesses remained in the fire’s path, authorities said.

“I’m praying and hopeful they’ll contain it before it gets into town,” said Deb Harwood, who just two weeks ago retired to the foothills from the Bay Area.

Harwood was forced to flee her new mobile home in Mariposa this week and was staying at an evacuation center 45 miles away in Oakhurst. Several who left their homes because of the fire went to Oakhurst after the evacuation center in Mariposa had to be evacuated.

Meanwhile, as far away as Yosemite Valley, lights flickered on and off as the inferno barreled across power lines and roads 30 miles west of the park. Smoke clouded views of popular Half Dome and El Capitan while portions of Highway 49 and Highway 140, a primary route to Yosemite, were shut down. All park sights and services, however, remained open.

The past few weeks have brought hot, dry weather to the Sierra foothills, often in the triple digits, which has combined with erratic winds in recent days to fuel the Detwiler Fire. The heat is not expected to let up, with temperatures forecast to warm slightly in coming days.

The blaze, which began Sunday several miles north of Mariposa, is another mark of California’s late but extraordinarily busy peak fire season. While a wet winter left hills and valleys much moister than normal this year, once they dried out, a bumper crop of grass and brush emerged as easy prey for fire, particularly at lower, hotter spots like Mariposa.

Also, the Mariposa area is ground zero of the state’s tree mortality epidemic. Tens of millions of trees have died because of the recent drought and a bark beetle infestation in the central and southern Sierra, a die-off that authorities fear only intensifies fire.

About 186,000 acres have burned across California this year, according to state and federal figures — about 50 percent more than this time last year and nearly double the five-year average. The Detwiler Fire ranks among the biggest so far, and with fire officials estimating just 7 percent containment Wednesday, the potential for growth remains high. The cause remains under investigation.

Late Tuesday, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Mariposa County, which will help get more money and manpower to the area. About 2,200 firefighters were battling the blaze Wednesday afternoon, with the foremost goal of halting its southerly push.

“It’s backing slowly down a hill and there are multiple fire engines and strike teams in there to keep the fire from reaching Mariposa itself,” said Jordan Motta, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “It’s just all hands on deck right now.”

Motta said the strong show of force by firefighters appeared to have slowed if not stopped the fire’s forward momentum, at least for the time being.

Janet Kirkland, 72, another evacuee, was most concerned about her 20-year-old African gray parrot named Rookie. She had time to pack up her two dogs, but the bird remained at her house, which she was not optimistic about.

“I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I may not have a home to come back to,” she said.

Evan Sernoffsky, Sarah Ravani and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com and kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky, @SarRavani and @kurtisalexander