California: fire crews make progress against blaze
(Vatican Radio) Fire crews are finally gaining ground on a wildfire raging near Yosemite
National Park in the US state of California. Fire officials expressed optimism even
as the blaze grew larger while containment jumped to 20 percent. There are still concerns
over the safety of the San Francisco water supply. The fire has been threatening the
reservoir that supplies more than three quarters of the city’s water need. California
governor Jerry Brown praised the ongoing effort to protect life and property. “It
underscores the need to have the funding, the talent and the leadership at both the
state, local, and federal level – and that’s happening,” he said.
Nearly 3,700
firefighters are battling the roughly fire, which at more than 250 square miles is
the biggest wildfire on record in California’s Sierra Nevada. Listen: