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By Flynn Nicholls
US News Reporter
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California's massive Park Fire, the state's largest this year, has more than doubled in size since Friday and remains only 12 per cent contained, with difficult terrain and weather challenging firefighters as it spreads across Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama Counties.
Fire Captain Robert Foxworthy provided an update on the firefighting efforts in a video posted by Cal Fire on Saturday evening. "It can be very challenging for the crews to fight fire in areas like this, very steep terrain, inaccessible, very few roads, so all of those things can cause challenges just for getting the crews in and working," Foxworthy said.
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The fire, which began on July 24, has now spread to 350,012 acres, double the size it was on Friday, with damage inspection teams confirming that 66 structures have been destroyed.
You can use the following live evacuation map to see whether your home or business is affected and whether evacuation is mandatory.
The latest status from Cal Fire, updated on Sunday morning, says that lower temperatures and increased humidity have slightly reduced fire activity, but that the blaze continues to progress through multiple drainages, burning grass, brush, mixed timber, and dead vegetation.
Foxworthy said the terrain and fuel conditions made firefighting difficult. "The fuel conditions we have up here, large timber, lots of available fuel to burn," he explained. "In areas like this, we need to utilize all of our different resources for specific jobs."
Hand crews are being deployed to reach hard-to-access areas, while bulldozers are being used to gain access, widen existing fire lines, and open roads.
"We're experiencing some pretty strong winds and as we get into these upper elevations, that can actually intensify those winds, channeling and funneling them up different canyons; and things like that can cause some challenges and increased fire behavior," Foxworthy said.
The conditions have caused a number of isolated fires, further complicating containment efforts. "The fuel that's burning with the brush and the large timber can throw those embers out a great distance ahead of the main fire, and that can make controlling the fire more difficult," Foxworthy said.
Evacuation warnings and orders remain in place across the affected counties. Foxworthy urged residents to heed these warnings for their own safety and the safety of firefighters.
"My biggest thing to the public is, should you be in an area, especially where there's an active fire and you get the alert to leave, please do so. It's much safer for yourself. It's also much safer for the firefighters and they can then prioritize fighting that fire and getting it extinguished over protecting the public that's still in the fire area."
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A 42-year-old Chico man named Ronnie Stout was arrested on suspicion of arson on Wednesday night. Stout is suspected of having started the Park Fire by pushing a burning car into a 60-foot ditch, according to the Butte County district attorney.
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