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Crews Make Progress On Fire Near Yosemite Access Road

YOSEMITE (CBS/AP) -  Fire officials are reporting steady progress overnight in fighting a large wildfire outside Yosemite National Park.

The blaze remains at 35 percent containment Monday morning. It's burned more than 4,700 acres, or 7.5 square miles, since it began last Thursday when a motor home caught fire.

Firefighters have shut down a 15-mile stretch of Highway 140 leading into Yosemite and issued mandatory evacuations around the rural community of Rancheria. They're also warning residents of Old El Portal to get ready to leave.

The fire is burning on Stanislaus National Forest land, and Yosemite officials say it has not been affecting activities inside Yosemite.

Park officials are suggesting tourists traveling to Yosemite take Highway 120 or 41 instead. Tioga Road is also open for visitors entering the park on Highway 395.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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