Ferguson Fire threatens 3,500 structures in Central California

July 23 (UPI) -- A wildfire near Yosemite National Park's western edge threatened nearly 3,500 structures as it grew to more than 33,000 acres Monday, California fire officials said.

The Ferguson Fire was 13 percent contained early in the day, the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team said. The blaze is located in Central California, in the Merced River Canyon region.

Officials said the wildfire destroyed one non-residential structure, "but dozens more have been saved because of the efforts of crews throughout the fire area."

The fire hasn't entered Yosemite property, but was burning in the Stanislaus National Forest and officials issued air quality alerts for portions of Yosemite and the Sierra National Forest.

Officials issued mandatory evacuations for locations throughout the region, including some parts of Yosemite, the Rancheria Flat government housing, Savage's Trading Post, the Jerseydale and Mariposa Pines communities, and Sweetwater Ridge.

Steep, inaccessible terrain has made the Ferguson Fire particularly dangerous. On July 14, Braden Varney, 36, a heavy equipment operator with CalFire, died on site after a bulldozer rolled while he was battling the blaze. Six other firefighters sustained injuries. There have been no civilian deaths or injuries from the blaze.

Weather forecasters expect the region to become hotter and drier as the week progresses, complicating firefighting efforts.