A massive new rock fall has hit Yosemite National Park, cracking with a thundering roar off the El Capitan rock formation, injuring one person and sending huge plumes of white dust surging through the valley floor below.

A chunk of rock "the size of an apartment building" fell off the granite face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, killing one person and injuring another on the mountain at the height of climbing season, officials and witnesses said.

Dean Potter knew the risks every time he flew off a cliff in a wingsuit.

Extreme athlete Dean Potter, renowned for his bold climbs and BASE jumps, was one of two men killed while attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park.

A raging wildfire in Yosemite National Park has rained ash on the reservoir that is the chief source of San Francisco’s famously pure drinking water.