Park Fire containment inches up; numerous evacuation orders and warnings still in place
CHICO – All evacuations for the Park Fire have been lifted in Butte County as firefighters continue to fight the fire in eastern Tehama County, where they continue to report spot fires and unfavorable weather conditions.
The Park Fire is the largest wildfire of the year so far in the state, burning 429,263 acres as of Monday evening, and is the fourth-largest wildfire in California history, according to Cal Fire numbers. This acreage means it's more than six times the size of the city of Sacramento.
Numerous evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect across three different counties: Plumas, Shasta and Tehama.
Containment is at 39% as of Monday evening.
An arson suspect has been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire when he was allegedly seen pushing a car that was on fire down into the gully near Alligator Hole in upper Bidwell Park near Chico.
Wildfire weather concerns
Cal Fire officials said hot and dry weather remains a battle for crews. They continue to report hot temperatures and poor relative humidity as a factors in helping fuel the fire.
The fire made a push up the Mill Creek drainage Monday, crossing Tamarack Road into the South Fork Antelope Creek drainage. On Tuesday, the fire continued up the Mill Creek canyon with spot fires. It then jumped Highway 172.
As of Thursday, Cal Fire's map shows the fire burning up to Highway 32 and Lassen Park Road, which leads to the entrance of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Three years ago, the Dixie Fire burned much of the eastern portion of the national park, but now the Park Fire is approaching the western portion of the park, officials said.
Evacuation orders and warnings
A bulk of the evacuations in Tehama County have been lifted or downgraded to warnings. However, the eastern part of the county remains under evacuation orders, including Mineral. Residents should check the Tehama County evacuation map for the latest information on which zones are affected.
Butte County had evacuation orders in place ever since the fire started. But all evacuations were lifted by Thursday.
In Shasta County, a half dozen zones are in an evacuation warning, as all orders have been downgraded.
All evacuation orders for Plumas County have been lifted, but some warnings still remain in place there.
Cal Fire officials say 636 structures have been destroyed and 49 other structures have been damaged.
Wildfires across California
Wildfire activity across the state is up by a staggering amount in 2024, officials say.
Cal Fire released numbers on Tuesday showing that wildfire activity was 2,816% higher than last year for the same period.
