Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for hundreds of families in Madera and Mariposa Counties, according to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. The Railroad Fire has exploded in size to a thousand acres and is threatening homes.

The fire is burning just off of Highway 41 east of Oakhurst. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated.

The Railroad Fire so intense you can hear the inferno crackling. It swept across steep, dry brush and climbed trees off Highway 41 near the Mariposa and Madera County lines.

“It’s moving pretty aggressively through that material,” said Daniel Tunes, Sierra National Forest. “It’s been a hot, dry summer and temperatures today were very high.”

Fire crews and sheriff’s deputies are monitoring where the fire is headed from their command post at the Sugar Pine Railroad.

The fire coming dangerously close to homes and lodges. Mandatory evacuatuations are in place for Sugar Pine and Fish Camp including Tenaya Lodge. That’s where Andreas Laemmle and his family who are visiting from Germany are staying.

“They said nope, you can’t go into Tenaya Lodge,” said Laemmle. “Our luggage, our passports, our tickets and all stuff is in there and we hope now it’s not on fire.”

The Red Cross has turned Oakhurst Community Center into an emergency selter. Firefighters expect the cooler overnight temperatures and the wind shifting direction will help get the fire under control.

“In the evening, the wind starts coming back down on the stuff that’s already burned so that limits the intensity of the fire,” said Tune.

Lemmle hopes the evacuation orders will be lifted by tomorrow so eh and his family can continue on to Las Vegas.

“We can’t do anything, we have to look now where we have to stay this night,” said Laemmle.

Firefighters are worried about falling trees because a lot are dead or weakened.

The south entrance to Yosemite National Park remains closed.