The fourth-largest wildfire in California history ripped through nearly 7,000 more acres on Tuesday, and the containment of it stalled amid blazing hot conditions that will continue Wednesday, fire officials said.
The Park Fire in Tehama and Butte counties and the Lassen National Forest remained at 34% containment while growing to 420,827 acres by 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The approximately 657½ square miles the fire has burned is larger than the cities of San Francisco and Chicago combined.
Related Articles
Map: Park Fire’s active burning prompts more evacuations
Cause of the 2020 Markley Fire? Arson, says a CAL FIRE battalion chief
Park Fire grows but remains at 34% containment
Edgehill fire in San Bernardino damages or destroys 4 homes, evacuations in place
Map: Edgehill fire burning in Southern California
Authorities said they have not received any reports of injuries.
Cal Fire said 107,116 acres have burned on Lassen National Forest. Overall, 367,890 acres have burned in Tehama County and 52,937 have burned in Butte County, the agency said
The region did not regain humidity it expected overnight, fueling the fast and intense fire behavior, Cal Fire officials said. It has been moving to the north and east toward Mount Lassen, ascending quickly up slopes where the vegetation is bone dry.
Temperatures were expected to max at 106 degrees in the area of the fire on Wednesday, and the relative humidity was not expected to surpass 20%, according to the National Weather Service. The winds were expected to be virtually non-existent.
Crews and aircraft will keep at it Wednesday, but the weather is not expected to cool down until Thursday, when the highs are expected to max at 102.
The fire began July 24 at Bidwell Park, a park at the edge of Chico. Authorities arrested a man suspected of starting the blaze by pushing a burning car down an embankment.
It has burned more land in California than any wildfire except the 2020 August Complex Fire (1,032,648 acres), 2021 Dixie Fire (963,309) and 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire (459,123). All of those fires burned in Northern California.
The blaze has destroyed a combined 640 residential, commercial, minor or other structures in the two counties and damaged 52 others, Cal Fire said.
Evacuation warnings in the area of Mill Creek were upgraded to orders, fire officials said.
The fire was one of three majors wildfires in Northern California that Cal Fire crews were working to put out. The Crozier Fire in El Dorado County broke out overnight and had burned 182 acres without any containment 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The Hill Fire in Humboldt and Trinity counties is 93% contained and has burned 7,224 acres.
