A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said Friday.
Driven by an oppressive heat wave, the “Park Fire”—the most powerful wildfire to strike the state this summer—has quickly consumed around 240,000 acres (97,000 hectares) as of Friday night and is still gaining intensity.
At a press conference on Friday night, incident commander Billy See stated, “This fire has been rapidly expanding 4,000 to 5,000 acres an hour.”
According to state agency Cal Fire, despite the efforts of around 1,700 firefighters, it is currently “zero percent” under control, with hundreds of extra resources on the way.
A total of 4,000 people have evacuated the towns of Cohasset and Forest Ranch, plus an additional 400 from the small city of Chico.
The blaze so far has destroyed 134 structures, authorities said.
Despite the structure losses, Butte County Fire Chief Garrett Sjolund said “many more have been saved.”
“It is a fire that is challenging our strategies, but we are finding opportunities to deploy our resources in successful ways,” Sjolund told reporters.
The fire started Wednesday near Chico, in Butte County, and within hours had devastated a wide area there and in neighbouring Tehama County.
In just two days, the Park Fire has already become the 20th largest fire in California history by land area.
The blaze has generated an enormous column of dense grey smoke, with gritty clouds akin to those of a violent storm now visible in nearby US states.
Fire departments from across the state have sent crews to lend a hand.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the region through Friday night, predicting “critical” fire weather conditions.
On Thursday, police detained a 42-year-old man on suspicion of having started the fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.
Butte County prosecutor Mike Ramsey identified the man as Ronnie Dean Stout II and said he would be held without bail until a court appearance next week.
“You have to be prepared to go,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea warned area residents.
“This county has seen time and time again where people have waited too long and they have lost their lives,” he added.
Some area residents, such as Julia Yarbough, have already seen their homes reduced to ashes.
Butte County is about 70 miles north of the state capital Sacramento and just 25 miles from Paradise, the city that was devastated by a 2018 fire that ranked as California’s most deadly ever, claiming 85 lives.
