California wildfire spreads as state of emergency declared

A state of emergency has been declared in California as a fast-moving wildfire continues to grow in size.

Firefighters are working to contain the blaze and those living nearby have been evacuated from their homes to safety.

The Oak Fire, as it is known, started on Friday and has now burned 15,603 acres of land.

Despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters, California's fire department say the fire is still "zero per cent contained".

But they say the fire activity is not as extreme as previous days, and firefighters are making progress.

What's being done to help?

Firefighters are working hard to keep people safe

The fire department has been working hard to keep people safe.

Since Friday 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes near the blaze.

Hotels and other businesses are trying their best to find accommodation for those who have had to leave their homes.

Helicopters and planes are being used to tackle the fires from above as firefighters work on the ground to get the blaze under control.

The state of emergency declared in Mariposa County means the state could now get more help from the US government to fight the fire and repair the damage it is causing.

Why is this fire such a concern?

Yosemite National Park is home to some of the oldest trees in America

The fire is burning close to Yosemite National Park, which is home to some of the largest and oldest sequoia trees in the world.

Firefighters did manage to save the trees from another blaze earlier this month and its hoped they can save them again.

The US Forest Service said it is trying to protect the trees by removing low-lying vegetation - which fuels fires - to prevent the fire spreading further.

What's causing the wildfire to spread so quickly?

America is currently experiencing a heatwave much like those in Europe earlier this month.

The county of Mariposa, where the fire is, reached 38C degrees on Sunday with temperatures expected to stay high all week.

Most forest fires are caused by human activity - such as barbecues or bonfires.

But climate change increases the frequency of very hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel these fires, helping them spread and cause greater damage.

Heatwaves are becoming stronger and more intense scientists are warning, as the planet heats up due to human-caused climate change.

The world's temperature has risen 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1880.