The Park fire in Butte County — already the largest blaze in California this year — exploded to more than 164,000 acres by Friday morning, with its rapid spread forcing more evacuation warnings.
The growth of the fire over two days amid steady winds and hot temperatures has been dramatic, with its remote location making it difficult to fight. It was listed at 164,286 acres Friday morning and 3% contained.
Conditions on the ground are going to continue to be a challenge, forecasters say.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the northern Sacramento Valley, which includes the region where the fire is spreading. Forecasters warned there could be wind gusts up to 30 mph pushing the blaze north combined with low humidity through Friday evening, which “can cause new fire starts and ongoing wildfires to … grow rapidly and dangerously in size and intensity.”
It was one of several fires burning in California.
In Butte County, firefighters battling the Park fire remained focused on protecting structures and the public until additional crews arrived.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations for residents northeast of Chico, and more than 4,000 people had been evacuated by Thursday evening, according to Megan McMann, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office. Several rural areas in Tehama County were also under evacuation orders.
The fire is burning north into the Ishi Wilderness and Lassen foothills, which experts say hasn’t seen fire activity in decades, if not a century.
“Once it got into that area, it had a lot of fuel to consume,” Collins said.
“A lot of us who work in fire have kind of been waiting for this fire to happen for the last 25 years,” said Zeke Lunder, a Chico-based fire specialist and geographer. He said the lack of recent blazes has made the area a jackpot for flames.
On Thursday afternoon, authorities announced they had arrested a 42-year-old Chico resident on suspicion or arson. Prosecutors said the man pushed a burning car into a gully, starting the fast-moving fire.
