Huge wildfires in California force 2,000 people to evacuate from a town near Yosemite and prompt the governor to call a state of emergency

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The 2,000 residents of a small California town in the foothills flanking Yosemite National Park were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday.

Residents of tiny Mariposa, in the Sierra Nevada mountains southwest of Yosemite, were ordered to flee after flames from the so-called Detwiler Fire jumped over Highway 140.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Tuesday as the fire was approaching. The proclamation sends resources to the area. 

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Flames from the Detwiller rise over Highway 49 in Bear Valley, California. The huge flames forced over 2,000 people to flee from their homes 

The Detwiller Fire burns above Lake McClure in Mariposa County. It is believed to have destroyed 11,000 acres of land 

Flames from the Detwiler fire flare above dry vegetation in Mariposa County

An air tanker drops fire retardant while battling the Detwiller Fire near Bear Valley on Monday

Firefighters Mike Franceschi (left) and Mike Pierson (right) burn vegetation to protect a residence threatened by the Detwiller fire

A car burned by the Detwiller fire rests outside a leveled structure near Mariposa, California

The fire marched toward the community, threatening 1,500 structures. 

Crews continued to battled the out-of-control wildfire that has already destroyed eight structures.   

'Fire activity continued to grow throughout the night due to ample fuel, and steep terrain,' the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

'Today firefighters expect unfavorable weather conditions and aggressive fire behavior.'

The Detwiler fire burns down a hillside near Bear Valley, California

Firefighters Mike Franceschi (right) and Mike Pierson (center) burn vegetation to protect a residence threatened by the Detwiler fire in Bear Valley, California

A photograph posted on social media showed empty downtown streets as an orange and pink glow from the fire hovered on the horizon. 

Downtown Mariposa had its power cut off, according to one reporter on a local Fox affiliate.

Cal Fire said utility lines supplying power to the national park were also in the path of the flames. 

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Tuesday ordered evacuations for some residents living southwest of Yosemite National Park.

Calfire spokeswoman DeeDee Garcia says a wildfire burning on steep hills covered by dense grass and forestland threatens roughly 300 structures.

She says the fire is miles from Yosemite, but some roads popular to park visitors are closed.

The blaze is fueled by tall grass, wind and heat. It's threatening at least 1,500 homes.

CalFire says it's also threatening power lines that supply electricity to Yosemite National Park. The park remained open Tuesday.

Firefighters work to keep the Detwiller fire from reaching a home near Mariposa, California

A firefighter works to keep the Detwiller fire from spreading up a hillside near Mariposa, California

California Gov. Jerry Brown called for a state of emergency in response to the raging wildfires 

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the blaze near Lake McClure, a reservoir about 50 miles east of Modesto, is 5 percent contained.

The Detwiler Fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and has since blackened 25,000 acres of forest land. It was only about five percent contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Cal Fire, and also posed a threat to several other small foothill communities.

There were no immediate details on the structures destroyed or another listed as damaged. Highway 49 was closed in sections except to residents.

'I haven't seen these conditions in a long time, it's a wind-driven, slope-driven, fuel-driven fire,' Jerry Fernandez with Cal Fire told an ABC affiliate in Fresno.

The Detwiler was among more than three dozen major, out-of-control wildfires burning across the US West as windy, dry conditions prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders and red flag warnings in California, Oregon and Nevada.

Flames have charred more than twice as much land in California so far in 2017 compared with the same time last year, according to Cal Fire.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.