The Park Fire is taking a toll on Northern California, as it is now one of the biggest wildfires in the state’s history.
The fire that is burning near Chico has resulted in evacuations in four counties. Officials with CAL Fire estimate it has burned more than 307,000 acres as of Saturday, Fox Weather reported:
🚒 CAL FIRE personnel are tirelessly working to bring the #ParkFire under control and protect communities in its path.
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) July 26, 2024
🔥 Fueled by slope and winds, the fire is moving quickly, consuming grass, brush, and mixed timber as Red Flag Warning conditions continue.
👨🚒 As of this… pic.twitter.com/9arQvmVcGr
The outlet continued:
At least 134 homes and structures have been damaged or destroyed and another 1,200 are threatened, fire officials said. Over 50 community zones are now under evacuation warnings across 4 counties, spanning more than 4,400 people.
“The Park Fire continued to burn aggressively due to steep terrain and winds,” CAL Fire officials wrote in their Friday night update. “Damage inspection teams are working to identify structures that have been damaged or destroyed.”
In a social media post on Friday, CAL fire chief Joe Tyler shared video footage of the Park Fire.
“Take a moment to watch this powerful video and consider how you and your family are prepared for the threat of wildfire,” he wrote:
The #Parkfire in Butte County has now surpassed 164,000 acres. Take a moment to watch this powerful video and consider how you and your family are prepared for the threat of wildfire. For more information on the Park Fire visit: https://t.co/f2Jx3YA3kh pic.twitter.com/RiWlxhTLan
— CAL FIRE Chief (@CALFIRE_CHIEF) July 26, 2024
As of early Saturday, there were no reports of deaths. However, two individuals suffered minor injuries but received treatment. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has declared an emergency, an action that allows more state resources to help put out the blaze, per the Fox Weather article.
Almost 2,500 firefighters were working to quell the blaze, the outlet said:
According to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, a man from Chico allegedly started the fire by pushing a car that was on fire into a gully in Bidwell Park on Wednesday afternoon, KCRA reported Friday.
The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Ronnie Dean Stout II, has been arrested. The KCRA article also noted:
Stout has two previous “strike” felony convictions, the DA’s office said. In 2001, he was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 in Butte County. In 2002, he was convicted of robbery with great bodily injury in Kern County. After the second conviction, he was sentenced to the state prison for 20 years.
He was later arrested for a DUI in 2020.
The #ParkFire in northern California has burned 164,000 acres since igniting Wednesday. Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, was arrested for arson. The Butter County District Attorney says Stout lit his mother's car on fire & pushed it into a gully in Chico, igniting the Park Fire. @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/w526yiTFfW
— Jessica Harrington (@JessicaABC30) July 26, 2024
The biggest fire in California during 2023 was the Smith River Complex Fire in Del Norte, which affected more than 95,000 acres, according to KCRA.
