California forest fire rages on as firefighters protect the Yosemite sequoia trees

A heat wave in California continued as firefighters battled a wildfire that has been posing a threat to the giant sequoias and a small community in Yosemite National Park.

The fire was a threat to more than 500 mature sequoias in the park's Mariposa Grove and the nearby community of Wawona, which has been evacuated.

The area in the southern portion of Yosemite was closed to visitors but the rest of the national park remained open.