As they battled the gigantic Park fire raging in Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama counties on Sunday, firefighters had to deal with constantly shifting weather. This was California’s largest wildfire of the year and the seventh-largest fire in state history. A brief respite in hot, dry weather over the weekend allowed the 360,141-acre fire to limit to 12% of its extent, but the fire flared up again in many spots on Sunday, making some “pretty significant runs,” according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. During an afternoon press briefing, Mark Brunton, the chief of the operations division, stated, “We are seeing increased fire activity within the incident this afternoon.”

Astonishing satellite footage captures the Park fire raging from orbit

As the fire burns through dense foliage, crews will continue to struggle this week due to rising temperatures and decreasing humidity. “We’re kind of at the mercy of the weather, the fuel, and the topography—those are the three driving factors of any fire,” incident spokesperson Jay Tracy stated. In Tehama County, on Friday, flames shot out as the Park fire crossed Highway 36 close to Paynes Creek. In Tehama County, on Friday, flames shot out as the Park fire crossed Highway 36 close to Paynes Creek. After a man, suspected of arson, threw a blazing automobile into a gully close to Chico, an explosive wildfire broke out on Wednesday afternoon. At least 67 buildings have been destroyed, 4,200 more are still under threat, and about 4,200 people have had to leave their homes. Over 4,000 firefighters are battling the fire both on the ground and in the air. However, Tracy stated that the fire is raging in steep, rugged terrain that is hard to get to, including places like the Ishi Wilderness that haven’t burned in decades and are so overgrown and prone to fire. Concerns are raised by the largest fire in California’s ‘extraordinary’ growth. It might burn for several months.
“There’s not any infrastructure in there that would have the roads and the access points that we need,” he stated. The majority of the fire is moving northeast, and Paynes Creek and other nearby areas remain of great concern. According to officials, the fire is spreading into some denser forest along Highway 32, advancing toward Deer Creek, Lomo, and other nearby locations. Billy See, the Cal Fire incident commander, stated at the press conference, “We are experiencing some challenges along the 32 corridor.” Thanks to “luck and hard work,” Cohasset, a hamlet of concern on the southern edge of the fire, has managed to escape damage thus far, according to Zeke Lunder, a geographer and fire specialist based in Chico. During a briefing on Saturday night, Lunder stated that while there are numerous active hotspots and flames in the European Space Agency’s satellite images of the fire, there are also some positive forest management and fuel reduction initiatives that have helped keep certain places safe.

“Firenado” rises from the intense Park fire to the north of Chico

But according to forecasters, luck might soon change. Sara Purdue, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, says that although a low-pressure system brought much cooler and wetter conditions to the area over the weekend, the coming days are likely to bring a gradual rise in temperature and drop in humidity. “We’re looking at the potential for triple digits by next weekend,” stated Purdue. “There is some uncertainty in the forecast still, but it’s going to be a slow transition back to those warmer-than-normal temperatures.” Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to the fire, stating that he had obtained more federal support to fight the blaze.
“This is already one of the biggest fires in California history, and we’re continuing to see dangerous conditions—our firefighters and emergency responders are working day and night to protect our communities,” Newsom stated in a statement. “Californians must heed the warning from local authorities and take steps to stay safe.”