A fast-spreading wildfire in Northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle high winds and extremely dry conditions, authorities said Friday.
Fueled by a crushing heat wave, the so-called Park Fire, the most intense wildfire to hit the state this summer, has rapidly devoured nearly 240,000 acres as of Friday night and continues to gain strength. AFP reported.
“This fire has been rapidly expanding at 4,000 to 5,000 acres per hour,” incident commander Billy See said at a news conference Friday night.
The blaze is currently at 0% under control, despite the efforts of some 1,700 firefighters, according to state agency Cal Fire, with hundreds of additional resources ordered on the way.
A total of 4,000 people have been evacuated from the towns of Cohasset and Forest Ranch, plus another 400 from the small city of Chico. In addition, 134 structures have been destroyed so far, according to authorities.
The fire began Wednesday near Chico in Butte County and within hours had devastated a wide area there and in neighboring Tehama County.
It has already become the 20th largest fire in California history by area in just two days.
Fire departments across the state have sent crews to help.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the region through Friday night, predicting “critical” wildfire weather conditions.
Earlier this week, police arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of starting the fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.
Butte County Prosecutor Mike Ramsey identified the man as Ronnie Dean Stout II and said he would be held without bail until a court appearance next week.
Butte County suffered a devastating wildfire in 2018 that claimed 85 lives.
However, the current fire is not heading toward any major city, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain.
California is experiencing an early start to what looks to be an intense wildfire season, with 20 incidents currently active and 40 additional fires threatening northern communities.
Canada has also suffered a series of wildfires, including a massive blaze that has consumed much of the resort town of Jasper in the western province of Alberta.
— Additional information from AFP
