Wildfire raging near Yosemite National Park burns some 9,500 acres

Footage shows fire crews battling a wildfire raging near Yosemite National Park, one of the most iconic public lands in the United States.

The River Fire ignited on Sunday in the Sierra Nevada, south of the park. It is 20 per cent contained but has already burned some 9,500 acres, according to California’s wildfire fighting agency.

More than 60 large wildfires are raging in 12 states, including Arizona, Montana and Oregon, as the American west is scorched in the second life-threatening heatwave in weeks. Exceptionally dry ground - exacerbated by the climate crisis – is also fuelling the blazes.