Latest: 2 more firefighters injured in blaze near Yosemite

MARIPOSA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on wildfires in California (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

Authorities say two more California firefighters have been injured while battling a stubborn and growing wildfire in steep terrain west of Yosemite National Park.

Fire spokesman Rich Eagan says the firefighters were hospitalized Friday after suffering back injuries. Both have been released and are expected to fully recover.

A total of four firefighters have been injured and one killed since the blaze broke out July 13.

Eagan says the fire is expanding to the north into inaccessible and rugged terrain within Sierra National Forest. It has burned about 42 square miles (110 square kilometers) of timber and is just 7 percent contained.

A memorial service for firefighter Braden Varney, who was killed while operating a bulldozer on the fire line, will be held Monday in Modesto.

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8:45 a.m.

A California forest fire just west of Yosemite National Park is steadily growing as crews work in blazing summer heat to protect mountain communities in the Sierra Nevada.

Officials said Saturday that the Ferguson fire is churning northward, sending up smoke that has been obscuring valley views in the park. Yosemite remains open, but one of its scenic routes, Glacier Point Road, is closed. The blaze that broke out July 13 has charred about 42 square miles (110 square kilometers) of timber. It’s just 7 percent contained.

Fast-acting firefighters got a handle on a wildfire that broke out Friday in Santa Barbara County, near Buellton. It’s more than 30 percent contained.

Forecasters warn that an extended period of high heat is brewing for much of the state, bringing increased fire danger.

Categories: California News