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Crews Make Progress Battling Wildfire Near Yosemite National Park

The fire, which at one point covered 1,200 acres, was knocked down to just a little over 600 acres by Tuesday, officials said.
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Firefighters made progress battling a raging wildfire near Yosemite National Park in central California Tuesday, with the blaze that once raged over 1,200 acres dwindling to just over 600 acres and some evacuation orders were lifted, officials said.

The Junction fire destroyed eight homes in Oakhurst since Monday afternoon. The area includes vacation homes where owners live as far away as New York City, Madera County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Erica Stuart said. Winds on Monday pushed the blaze further into the foothill communities, but complicating efforts to control the fire was temperatures that climbed above 90 degrees Tuesday, Stuart added. Evacuation orders for some of the 13,000 residents warned of the danger were lifted, and some roads were reopened, the California Department of Fire and Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday. A cause was still under investigation.

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— Miguel Almaguer and Erik Ortiz

The Associated Press contributed to this report.