Park Fire Burns 360,000 Acres and Becomes California’s Seventh-Largest Wildfire on Record
The Park Fire in Northern California has rapidly expanded to over 360,000 acres, spreading across Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama counties. This devastating blaze now ranks as the seventh largest in terms of acreage burned in California’s history. By Sunday afternoon, the fire was only 12 percent contained, despite the efforts of more than 4,000 firefighters and personnel.
The fire has caused significant destruction, with at least 67 destroyed or damaged structures. According to Cal Fire, over 4,000 additional structures are currently threatened. Thousands of residents across over 80 community zones have been issued evacuation warnings.
A change in weather conditions provided a crucial advantage to firefighters, allowing them to make significant progress since Saturday when the fire was completely uncontained. Reduced winds and a cloud of smoke that shielded the fire from the sun’s intense heat contributed to this progress. However, by Sunday afternoon, the weather conditions deteriorated, once again creating challenging conditions for the firefighting efforts.
Nationwide, over 26,000 firefighters and personnel are battling active wildfires that have scorched over two million acres. In Oregon, firefighters are contending with multiple wildfires fueled by extreme heat and lightning, including five that have each surpassed 100,000 acres. The largest of these, the Durkee Fire near the Idaho border, has burned approximately 288,000 acres since igniting on July 17 and is 49 percent contained as of Monday morning.
Park Fire Gets Massive, Sweeps Through Four Counties: Actionable Insights on EigenPrism
Subscribers of ICEYE can use the following real-time footprints on EigenPrism®, to quickly assess the impact of wildfire:
All EigenPrism® users can assess the impact using the following report template:
California Park Wildfire 2024 Report
The report template auto-updates with the latest available footprints, which include:
- CA Park Wildfire Proximity Map from NIFC
- CA Park Wildfire from NIFC
Jul 26 | Park Fire Becomes California’s Largest Wildfire of 2024 in Just Two Days, Arson Alleged
A wildfire that ignited Wednesday afternoon in a park near Chico, California, north of Sacramento, has rapidly expanded, raising alarm among authorities. Investigators suspect that the Park Fire was intentionally set.
The Park Fire originating near a roadside, the blaze quickly intensified, fueled by parched vegetation amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures in the area soared into the 100s, with humidity levels below 25% and increasing winds, significantly accelerating the fire’s spread and intensity.
Cal Fire reports that the fire expanded from approximately 6,400 acres late Wednesday night to 164,000 acres by early Friday. Despite the relentless efforts of 1,153 firefighters, the fire remains only 3% contained. Challenging conditions, including dry air, high temperatures, and gusty winds, persist in the area, which is under a red flag warning until Friday evening.
Authorities in Butte County and neighboring Tehama County have issued multiple evacuation orders and warnings as the Park Fire continues to grow. Shelters have been established for displaced residents and animals. According to a news release from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office early Thursday, 3,500 people have already been evacuated.
Another active wildfire in the US, the Durkee Fire, has scorched over 280,000 acres in eastern Oregon. Hot weather, gusty winds, and extreme lightning have created critical fire conditions, fueling the blaze. Despite more than a week of firefighting efforts by over 500 crew members, the fire remains uncontained as of Thursday morning. Evacuation orders are in place along the Interstate 84 corridor in northeastern Oregon.
Park Fire Becomes California’s Largest Wildfire of 2024 in Just Two Days: Actionable Insights on EigenPrism
All EigenPrism® users can assess the impact using the following report template:
California Park Wildfire 2024 Report
The report template auto-updates with the latest available footprints, which include:
- CA Park Wildfire Proximity Map from NIFC
- CA Park Wildfire from NIFC
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