Northern California's Park Fire reaches full containment 2 months later
CHICO – Just over two months after the Park Fire broke out in Chico, fire officials said the fire is 100% contained after burning more than 429,000 acres across Northern California.
The fire broke out on July 24 in Upper Bidwell Park and grew to the fourth-largest in California history.
Just as crews announced the fire is contained, the city of Chico said most of Upper Bidwell Park's trails have been repaired and have reopened. It is a popular area for people to hike, mountain bike, picnic or swim.
Butte County prosecutors said they arrested a man suspected of starting the fire the day after. Prosecutors said he was seen pushing a car that was on fire down into a gully near Alligator Hole in Upper Bidwell Park.
According to Cal Fire statistics, the fire destroyed 709 buildings and damaged another 54.
The fire forced officials to issue an evacuation warning for the town of Paradise, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire. It also forced evacuations across other parts of Butte County, as well as Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties.