Man accused of starting California's largest wildfire of the year is arrested

[Bundbuster]

Suspect allegedly pushed burning car into gully which started Park fire as other fires scorch Pacific north-west

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/25/wildfires-west-coast-canada

The flames have since exploded into what is now the Park fire, which has burned more than 71,000 acres (28,733 hectares) near the city of Chico. Evacuations were ordered in Butte and Tehama counties, with the blaze only 3% contained early on Thursday.

The blaze has stirred up a sense of trauma for residents, who have lived through several destructive and deadly fire seasons in recent years. The 2018 Camp fire that destroyed the nearby town of Paradise remains one of the most deadly in US history.

The US National Interagency Fire Center said in a report on Wednesday that 84 uncontained large fires were burning across the country. In a statement, the center said that many of the wildfires in the north-west were exhibiting “extreme fire behavior”, and that evacuation orders were in effect as of Wednesday on 15 fires including in parts of California, the Northern Rockies and the Great Basin, the center said, with more than 21,000 wildland firefighters across the country working on managing the flames.

In San Diego county, evacuation orders were in effect on Wednesday night after a wildfire began to spread fast near the San Diego and Riverside county line. And in many of the areas of the country affected by the wildfires, including parts of Oregon, Washington and Idaho, air quality alerts and advisories were in effect due to wildfire smoke.

[calikid]

1. 124k + acres as of this evening nt

[Bundbuster]

2. California's largest wildfire of year grows as thousands ordered to evacuate

The Park fire in the north of the state, only 3% contained, has burned more than 160,000 acres, including structures

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/26/california-wildfire-evacuation

The largest wildfire that California has seen this year grew again overnight, as thousands of residents remained under evacuation orders on Friday, and numerous structures have been destroyed as people flee flames licking above the tree line.

As of Friday morning, the fire, known as the Park fire and described as particularly aggressive, has burned more than 160,000 acres (64,700 hectares) over Butte and Tehama counties in the north of the state in two days, officials say, and was only 3% contained.

During a press conference on Thursday, local officials from Butte county said that there had been two minor injuries due to the fire, and said that numerous structures had been destroyed. Videos from local news agencies show entire landscapes, homes and cars engulfed by flames and smoke, while people rush to flee the area.

Evacuation orders were issued in parts of those counties, and the sheriff of Butte county, Kory Honea, said in the news conference on Thursday that approximately 4,000 residents, including in the communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch and other areas in north-east Chico, had so far been impacted by the evacuation orders.

[Bundbuster]

3. California governor declares emergency as multiple wildfires rage across state

Gavin Newsom makes declaration for three counties as thousands flee and hundreds of homes destroyed

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/27/wildfires-california-state-of-emergency

Multiple wildfires continued raging overnight in northern California amid dry conditions, high temperatures and wind, prompting the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, to declare a state of emergency in three counties. Newsom’s emergency declaration for the counties of Plumas, Butte and Tehama came as thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes. Hundreds of houses and other buildings have also been destroyed, though no deaths have been reported.

The Park fire, currently the largest of the year in California, was ravaging more than 307,000 acres (124,238 hectares) – an area nearly the size of Los Angeles – across Butte and Tehama counties as of early Saturday. Dry conditions had spurred the fire to increase at an alarmingly rapid pace overnight, according to California’s department of forestry and fire protection.

The Park fire had destroyed more than 130 structures as of Saturday, when thousands more buildings remained in danger of being engulfed in flames. “There’s a tremendous amount of fuel out there and it’s going to continue with this rapid pace,” Billy See, Cal Fire incident commander, said at a briefing. He said the fire was advancing up to 8 sq miles (21 sq kms) an hour on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Gold Complex fires, caused by lightning, were burning across 3,000 acres in the Plumas national forest. Fire crews had made progress battling that cluster of fires, 50 miles (80km) north-west of Reno.