Firefighters on Sunday made some progress against wildfires burning in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama Parks — California’s largest blaze this year and the nation’s seventh-largest blaze.
The 353,194-acre fire is 12% contained as it mostly rests in hot, dry weather conditions, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But crews face an uphill battle with higher temperatures and lower humidity on the horizon as the fire continues to burn through heavy vegetation.
“We are kind of at the mercy of weather, fuel and topography – these are the three factors driving any fire,” said Jay Tracy, a spokesperson for the incident.
The explosive wildfire ignited Wednesday afternoon after a man pushed a burning car into a gully near Chico in what authorities said was an act of arson. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes, and at least 66 buildings have been destroyed and 4,200 remain under threat.
Nearly 4,000 firefighters attacked the blaze from the air and on the ground, Tracy said. But the fire is burning in steep, jagged terrain that has proven difficult to access – including areas such as the Ishi Wilderness that have not burned in decades and are overgrown and rife for fire, Tracy said.
“There is no infrastructure there that will have the necessary roads and access points,” he said.
The fire has largely crept north, where communities such as Paynes Creek remain a major concern. Fortunately, many homes and neighborhoods in the area are spread out and not densely populated, which now allows crews to keep property damage and other tolls to a minimum, Tracy said.
Another community of concern – Cohasset on the fire’s southern perimeter – has also so far been spared due to a combination of “luck and hard work,” according to Zeke Lunder, a Chico-based fire specialist and geographer.
Satellite imagery of the fire captured by the European Space Agency shows many hotspots and active fires, but also some useful forest management and fuel reduction projects that help preserve some protected areas, Lunder said at a briefing on Friday evening.
However, forecasters say their fortunes could change. While a low-pressure system brought cooler and wetter conditions to the region over the weekend, the coming days could increase temperatures and decrease humidity, according to Sara Purdue, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
“We are looking at the potential for triple digits by next weekend,” Purdue said. “There is some uncertainty in the forecast, but it will be a slow transition back to warmer than normal temperatures.”
The fire prompted a declaration of emergency from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Saturday that he has enlisted additional federal aid to help fight the fire.
“This has been one of the largest wildfires in California history, and we continue to see dangerous conditions — firefighters and emergency responders working day and night to protect our communities,” Newsom said in a statement. “Californians should heed warnings from local authorities and take steps to stay safe.”
Tracy, the spokesman for the incident, said that some of the extreme behavior shown in the early stages of the fire seems to be slowing down, such as the tornado-like “fire whirls” that are sometimes called “firenados”.
But it continues to spew smoke, with federal smoke maps showing the plume from the fire reaching as far as Oregon and Nevada.
The Park Fire has caused several road closures and the closure of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Evacuation shelters are available at the Neighborhood Church in Chico and the Los Molinos Vet Hall in Los Molinos. Large and small animal shelters are also available in Oroville, Red Bluff and Corning.
The race between weather and combat will continue Sunday and into the days ahead, Tracy said.
“If the weather continues to cooperate, then we will be able to continue this direct attack and start adding content,” he said.
Cal Fire firefighter Christian Gonzalez extinguishes hot spots from the Park fire near Forest Ranch, California, Saturday.
(Nic Coury/AP)
