Getty A firefighter sprays down flames as the Detwiler fire rages.
A massive wildfire ripped through Mariposa County in California, threatening a historic mining town.
The fire was officially labeled the “Detwiler Fire.” Dramatic videos and photos emerged from the scene as 2,200 fire personnel battled the volatile blaze.
Mike Wright sits in a lawn chair at his home as flames from the Detwiler fire approach the town of Mariposa, California on July 18, 2017.
The Fresno Bee reported that the fire was traveling at a pace of 1 mile per hour as it moved toward the Gold Rush-era town of Mariposa.
This just in – #DetwilerFire is now 25,000 and 5% contained. Air and ground resources continue to fight this massive blaze in Mariposa Co.
Cal Fire – the official California fire protection agency – reported that the blaze had doubled overnight from July 18 to July 19. The fire first broke out on July 16 around 4 p.m. in Mariposa County near Lake McClure, Cal Fire reported.
dhs_jules: RT CALFIRE_PIO: This just in – #DetwilerFire is now 45,724 acres and 7% contained. Over 2,200 fire pers…
By July 19, it had scorched 45,724 acres and was only 7% contained, Cal Fire said. One helicopter pilot captured helmet-cam video. By later that evening, though, its pace slowed, reaching 48,000 acres with 7% contained.
Amazing helmet-cam video from one of the helicopters fighting the #DetwilerFire. Video: Jacob Barber
Other helicopters joined in the fight against the blaze.
A view from Mariposa Airport of helicopters fighting the #DetwilerFire
The night before, the fire had only burned 25,000 acres and was 5% contained.
GettyA real estate sign is surrounded by flames as the Detwiler fire rages.
The fire had destroyed 8 buildings, damaged 1, and was threatening 1,500 more in Mariposa.
A chimney is seen standing amidst burned out remains at a property near the town of Mariposa, California on July 18, 2017.
Here’s a closer look at the fire lines:
A closer look from the fire lines #Detwilerfire
Cal Fire reported the location of the blaze as “Detwiler Rd and Hunters Valley Rd, 2 miles east of Lake McClure.”
ABC reported that 5,000 structures were imperiled by the blaze, the cause of which is not yet known.
Firefighters use bulldozers to bury flames from the Detwiler fire near the town of Mariposa, California on July 18, 2017.
Thousands of people were evacuated from The Town of Mariposa, a community with a historic main street cemented in the Californian mining era.
Dozens of frazzled cats here at #DetwilerFire evacuation shelter in Oakhurst
The fire was ominously close to Mariposa.
Fire creeping up this hill just outside of Mariposa. Video taken from Hwy 140 and Hwy 49 #Detwilerfire
The fire was “burning in the rugged mountains outside Yosemite National Park,” according to ABC10.
Detwiler Fire.
Helicopters joined the effort to stop the blaze.
Mailboxes sit on the ground after being burned by the Detwiler Fire.
KCRA-TV reported that the entire Town of Mariposa was evacuated.
GettyDried grass burns during the Detwiler Fire on July 18, 2017.
Shelters were set up in schools, churches, and community centers for people and animals.
People offered prayers on social media for the people of Mariposa.
GettyA Los Angeles County firefighter monitors the Detwiler Fire on July 18, 2017 in Mariposa, California.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the fire was “fueled by tall grass and overgrown shrubs that sprouted along the central Sierra Nevada foothills during the winter rains.”
MARIPOSA, CA – JULY 18: A firefighter monitors the Detwiler Fire on July 18, 2017 in Mariposa, California.
That “rich fuel source” created a fire that, one fire official told The Times, “we haven’t seen in the last seven or eight years.”
MARIPOSA, CA – JULY 18: A firefighter sprays water on the Detwiler Fire on July 18, 2017 in Mariposa, California.
Cal Fire labeled the fire “extreme” and “aggressive.”
GettyMARIPOSA, CA – JULY 19: A gas line continues to burn at a home that was destroyed by the Detwiler Fire.
The Times reported that the fire had reached just under a mile from Mariposa.