Two hikers in California left stranded as wildfire rages around them

‘Everything is completely engulfed in flames’: Terrifying moment two hikers in California realize they are stranded as the wildfire rages around them amid evacuation orders for 14,000 people – as Mosquito blaze continues to burn

  • Matt Bishop and Steve Cooper became trapped by a raging fire while hiking on Baring Mountain, in Washington state
  • The pair had to carefully pick their way back down a mountan, and were terrified that they were going to die 
  • Firefighters in Sacramento are still fighting a Mosquito Fire that has spread to nearly 65 square miles with a 10 per cent containment
  • Another deadly blaze is the Mill Fire in Weed, 280 miles north of San Francisco, with authorities confirming that it is 90 per cent contained

Two hikers thought that they were going to die after becoming trapped on a mountain when a wildfire broke out either side of them.

Matt Bishop and Steve Cooper had been trekking up the Baring Mountain, in Washington state, when they first spotted smoke and then the massive blaze raging in front of them.

The pair tried to contact emergency services but were told that they area they were in was too dangerous for search and rescue teams to reach them on Saturday.

In a video posted to their YouTube channel, Paths Least Taken, they wanted to show how they ended up ‘putting their lives in danger’.

Fires in the area they were hiking in is extremely rare due to rain and milder temperatures, so the pair were caught off guard during their 6-hour hike.

They were confronted with the blaze and tried to head down the mountain, before being surrounded by thick smoke and high temperatures.

Steve said: ‘It was definitely one of those moments when you were like, this is it, we are probably not going to make this.’

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5TNgosDVps8%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US

Matt Bishop,left,  and Steve Cooper, right, were both out hiking in Bolt Creek when they realized they were surrounded by flames on Saturday

A blaze in Fairview, pictured, killed Ian Matthew Compton and his daughter Mikayla Porter. They were found dead in their car trying to escape from the flames with Compton’s wife Tina suffering severe burns

Firefighters in Sacramento are still fighting a Mosquito Fire that has spread to nearly 65 square miles with a 10 per cent containment

They both quipped that they hoped viewers would see the video or it meant they ‘didn’t make it’ before adding ‘we’re going to try to get out of here before we burn to death.’

They managed to make their way down the mountain, with Matt almost loosing his footing atop a 200ft tall cliff.

In the video Steve added: ‘The fire is starting to close in on us, everything is completely engulfed in flames.

‘When that fire was coming up that ridge, it was hot, extremely hot.

‘If it’s a red flag warning, you probably shouldn’t go out into the mountains. It’s a bad idea.

‘If there is smoke, or any sign of smoke, probably just turn around and do not go hiking.’

Both men, experience hikers, picked a path along a stream in the hope that it would be the safest route, managing to make it back to their Jeep safely.

It is just one of several fires which are currently blazing through the US, including massive fires in California, Idaho and Oregon.

Last week a father and daughter were killed while fleeing from one of five wildfires burning across California. 

Emergency servies were unable to help the hikers when they became stranded, with helicopters assisting in trying to put out the blaze

The mosquito fire has burned 46,587 acres so far, with more than 5,800 structures in Placer and El Dorado counties under threat

Steve said: ‘It was definitely one of those moments when you were like, this is it, we are probably not going to make this.’ They tried to call for help in Bolt Creek, pictured, but were trapped becuse of how fast the blaze was spreading

The blazes have killed two other people, as well as Ian Matthew Compton and his daughter Mikayla Porter.

They were found dead in their car trying to escape from the Fairview Fire in Hemet on Tuesday, with Compton’s wife Tina suffering severe burns.

Firefighters in Sacramento are still fighting a Mosquito Fire that has spread to nearly 65 square miles with a 10 per cent containment.

It has burned 46,587 acres so far, with more than 5,800 structures in Placer and El Dorado counties under threat.

There are more than 14,000 residents in the areas that are under evacuation orders, with numerous homes being burned to the ground.

Fire crews say the cooler temperatures and lack of wind has helped but the vegetation is dry and burns easily.

Another deadly blaze is the Mill Fire in Weed, 280 miles north of San Francisco, with authorities confirming that it is 90 per cent contained.

It has burned across 3,935 acres as firefighters continue to battle the blaze and areas are stull under evacuations warnings.

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