Thousands of residents in southern California have been forced from their homes by a raging wildfire as it pushed towards their mountain resort communities.
The so-called Cranston Fire, believed to have been started by arson, had grown rapidly by early Thursday to cover 1900ha about 145km east of Los Angeles in the San Jacinto Mountains, the San Bernardino National Forest agency said on Twitter.
A firefighter watches as the Cranston fire grows to more 1,200 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest above Hemet. Source: AAP
Brandon McGlover, 32, of Temecula, was arrested on Wednesday and accused of starting multiple fires, including the Cranston Fire, fire officials said.
The fire along with dozens of others through the US West were being supercharged by extreme temperatures above 37C, erratic winds and low humidity, factors that were expected to remain in the region through Thursday.
To the northeast, the Ferguson Fire forced the heart of the Yosemite National Park to close on Wednesday after the blaze burning just to the west jumped fire lines overnight, forcing visitors to pack up camp and flee.
Heavy black smoke from the 16,800ha wildfire, which broke out on July 13 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of San Francisco, prompted Yosemite park officials to shut the main visitor hub of Yosemite Valley as well as Wawona and Mariposa Grove.
A firefighter died and seven others have been hurt battling the flames, which were 25 per cent contained as of Wednesday afternoon.
The blaze is one of about 60 major wildfires this week in the US that have scorched about 485,620ha.
