CHICO – California’s Northern Park Fire has burned more than 368,000 acres as evacuation orders affect four counties –butte, IT, Shasta and feathers.
Cal Fire said containment remained at 12% as of Monday morning. The Park Fire is the largest fire in the state so far this year and the sixth largest fire in California history, burning 368,256 hectares as of Monday morning, Cal Fire reports.
The fire burned an area more than five times the size of the city of Sacramento.
Cal Fire said the fire was burning through fire retardant lines in Tehama County and was spreading at a rapid rate of 4,000 to 5,000 hectares per hour on Friday. Most of the burned area was in Tehama County with flames spreading north toward Shasta County.
IN PHOTOS: Park Fire in Northern California
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Friday afternoon that about 4,200 residents are evacuating. The number was not yet clear for the other counties. Cal Fire said 4,200 structures are threatened.
Cal Fire said the Park Fire was the result of a suspected fire and ignited around 3 pm Wednesday in the Upper Bidwell Park area, about four miles northeast of downtown Chico, in Butte County.
Cal Fire initially reported that 134 structures were destroyed, but said it was going through aerial assessments. As of Monday morning, 105 structures were destroyed and another five were damaged. Crews expect this number of damages to fluctuate in the coming days.
No specifics were released on the types of structures destroyed, but it is clear that many houses were burned.
An Alert California tower camera in the area captured a fiery tornado, or firenado, near Chico early Thursday night.
Arson suspect arrested
The Butte County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that they had arrested a man suspected of starting the fire. As detailed by the DA’s office, a man he was seen pushing a burning car down the gorge near Alligator Hole in upper Bidwell Park — allegedly sparking the flames that would become the Park Fire.
Butte County District Attorney’s Office
He was arrested Thursday and identified by the district attorney’s office as Chico resident Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42. He was seen calmly leaving the area, trying to blend in with other people.
Alligator Hole is a popular area for people to cool off during the summer and is about six miles east of Chico’s town square. Upper Bidwell Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the nation and is home to several walking and biking trails, swimming holes and picnic areas.
Fire activity
Jeremy Pierce, division chief of operations for Cal Fire, said during a press conference Saturday that the fire had massive growth in Tehama County, burning north of Highway 36 and burning about 150 000 hectares.
“Yesterday’s weather pattern, the incident was covered in smoke and shaded, so there was not much solar heating done by the sun and there was very little wind. That allowed our firefighters to anchor this incident and earn that 12% containment, “. “Cal Fire Incident Commander Billy See.
Smoke cleared Sunday and increased winds were reported in the upper canyons, See said.
Mark Brunton, head of Cal Fire’s operations section, reported an increase in fire activity in the northeast direction and moving into heavier fuels and difficult terrain. Bulldozers, hand crews and aircraft are attacking this area which Brunton said is northeast of Butte Meadows.
Below Butte Meadows, crews saw spot fire, but crews were successful in knocking out the spot fire.
Honea said the sheriff’s office was trying to ease the evacuation order in the Forest Ranch area, but due to the spot fires in the area, the area remains under the order. He noted how this shows how quickly conditions change, and will reassess this on Monday.
In the Shasta County area, crews are reinforcing lines, including lines built from previous fires, if the fire makes another run north.
Cal Fire also said the fire has spread rapidly in the Ishi Wilderness over the past two days.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is closed. Park officials said the fire has the potential to reach Manzanita Lake and Mineral headquarters.
Evacuation and shelter orders
Butte County
Evacuations were first issued in Butte County. Several areas stretching northeast from Bidwell Park up Highway 32 to the Butte Meadows and Jonesville areas are under mandatory evacuation orders. Includes Cohasset Ridge, Keefer Ridge and Forest Ranch.
The Rock Creek and Richardson Springs areas were reduced to evacuation warnings on Sunday.
Evacuation advisories are in effect for areas on the east side of that area, from Butte Canyon Creek and all of Paradise northeast through Magalia and Stirling City, and up to the Inskip area and around Philbrook Reservoir , just south of Jonestown. They also include Chico Airport, west to Highway 99 and north to Wookey Road.
An evacuation shelter in Butte County has been set up at the Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chico. A second evacuation shelter is open at the Butte County Fairgrounds at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley.
A small animal shelter operates at 2279 Del Oro in Oroville. Large animals can be brought to Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Rd. in Oroville.
In Butte County, Cohasset Road was closed at Rock Creek, and Upper Park Road was closed at Wildwood, Cal Fire said. Additionally, Highway 32 is closed from Bruce Road in Chico to Highway 36.
Butte County residents can watch a live evacuation map here to see the exact areas.
Tehama County
Tehama, Shasta and Plumas County residents can view a live evacuation map here.
In Tehama County, almost the entire eastern side of the county, from the southern border to the northern border, is under mandatory evacuation orders. This continues from the Cohasset area near the Butte border through the Ishi Wilderness and Tehama Wildlife Area, across Highway 36 to the Shasta County border, east of the Highway 99.
A few areas are under evacuation notices on the east side of Highway 99 and west of the mandatory zones, which stretch from the Butte County border north to the Shasta County border. A few areas in the easternmost part of the county, where Highways 36 and 32 meet, are also under evacuation notices.
A Tehama County evacuation shelter is operating in Los Molinos at 7980 Sherwood Blvd.
Shasta County
In Shasta County, several areas between the Manton and Shingletown area and stretching west and east on the south side of Highway 49 are also under mandatory evacuation orders. Dozens of areas on the north side of Highway 49 are under evacuation notices.
A temporary shelter point for Shasta evacuees has been set up at the Dollar General on Highway 44 in Shingletown, the sheriff’s office said. Another will be set up at Bella Vista Elementary School at 22661 Old Alturas Rd.
Plumas County
An area of Plumas County that stretches from the west side of Lake Almanor and Highway 36 to the Grizzly Creek Bridge along the Feather River Highway is under an evacuation advisory. This is east of the burned area.
Federal assistance
On Friday night, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Butte and Tehama counties.
“We are using every tool available to protect life and property as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to fight these challenging fires,” Newsom said in a statement. “Stay safe and stay alert for instructions from local authorities as dangerous fire weather conditions continue.”
A local emergency was declared in Butte County Thursday evening, allowing the county to request more resources from the state. Prior to the local emergency declaration, Newsom secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to assist with the state’s response to the fire.
Newsom secured federal assistance for Tehama County on Saturday night.
Butte County has had a very busy fire season this summer. The Thomspon fire in the area of Oroville recently scorched more than 3,700 acres, forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and destroyed dozens of structures, including houses.
The day after the Thompson fire started, the Grubbs fire just south of the one in Palermo was much smaller, but also forced evacuations.
Mid July, the Railbridge Firejust south of Palermo, burned 130 hectares, forced evacuations, destroyed or damaged several structures and injured at least one person.
Back in June, the Apache Firewhich burned in the same general area near Oroville and Palermo, burned nearly 700 acres and forced its own round of evacuations.
Almost two weeks before the Apache Fire, the June Fire burned almost 1,100 hectares in Palermo and also forced people from their homes.
The Park Fire is burning just west of where the destructive Camp and Dixie fires occurred in Butte County.
U 2021 Dixie Fire burned nearly 1 million acres in Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehama counties.
Later in 2018, the Camp Fire burned more than 150,000 acres in Butte County, nearly destroying the town of Paradise. Is it deadliest fire in state historykilling 85 people.
