A massive California wildfire that has blackened a swath of Yosemite National Park and charred an area of land larger than the city of Dallas was sparked by a hunter who let an illegal fire get out of control, fire managers said on Thursday.
The so-called Rim Fire, which broke out on Aug. 17 in the Stanislaus National Forest and is now 80 percent contained, has charred more than 237,000 acres, making it the fourth largest in modern state history.
A statement from fire managers working with the U.S. Forest Service said investigators had determined the fire began "when a hunter allowed an illegal fire to escape." They did not release the hunter's name and said no arrests had been made.
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