Rim Fire Outside of Yosemite National Park Update: Wildfire Over 105,600 Acres in California, One Percent Contained

The out-of-control wildfire outside of Yosemite Park, known as the Rim Fire, is growing at an alarming rate. By Thursday, the massive wildfire nearly quadrupled in size and is currently only 1 percent contained.

The Rim Fire had burned over 105,620 acres by Friday morning in addition to destroying nine structures and causing one injury, reports NBC News. Over 1,800 responders are currently battling the Northern California blaze as it continues to rage in the Stanislaus National Forest.

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency as officers urged almost 300 residents to flee their homes within a gated community in a non-mandatory evacuation.

Although the park remains open, fire officials said the blaze near Yosemite threatens several thousand homes, hotels and camp buildings. 

The wildfire broke out Saturday at about 3 p.m. local time in the Stanislaus National Forest area. The cause remains under investigation. Out of the 10 major wildfires burning in California, the Rim Fire is among the largest.

To help stop the fire from spreading, fire crews aided by the California National Guard worked in the air and on the ground creating fire lines.

"It's like taking a rock, dropping it in a pond, and you splash, and it goes every which way," Lee Bentley of the U.S. Forest Service told CBS Sacramento station KOVR-TV. "That's what this fire is doing."

"It's a monster," Bentley added. "It's beating us up right at the moment. We're fighting this fire very, very hard."

To make matters worse, lightning was predicted in the forecast for Friday.