Park Fire grows to more than 392,000 acres as firefighters brace for possible thunderstorms, more extreme heat
CHICO – Firefighters battling the Park Fire in California remain concerned as they stare down the potential for perilous weather conditions through the weekend.
The Park Fire is the largest wildfire of the year so far in the state, burning 392,480 acres as of Thursday morning, and is the fifth-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 four different counties: Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama.
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 say a critical weather period of warmer and drier conditions coupled with thunderstorm potential starts Friday and is expected to last through Monday.
While storms are not expected to develop over the Park Fire's perimeter, firefighters are concerned that storms could drift over the area by Friday night. Lightning, new starts, and winds of 30-45 mph could all complicate the firefight.
As of Thursday morning, Cal Fire reports that containment of the Park Fire has held at 18%.
Evacuation orders and warnings
The bulk of evacuation orders that are still in effect as of Thursday are in Tehama County. Residents should check the Tehama County evacuation map for the latest information on which zones are affected.
Butte and Shasta counties also have a host of evacuation orders and warnings in place.
All evacuation orders for Plumas County have been lifted, but some warnings still remain in place there.
Cal Fire officials say, as of Wednesday, damage inspection teams have completed 80% of their assessments. So far, Cal Fire says 437 structures have been destroyed and 42 other structures have been damaged.
A Cal Fire incident commander said Wednesday afternoon that 209 of the structures lost were homes.
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.
As of Thursday, Cal Fire's incident page shows 16 active firefights across the state – with the Park Fire dwarfing them all. Notably, all the currently active fires in California started in July.
