Park Fire burns over 142,000 hectares, prompting evacuations and highlighting the impact of climate change.
A fire in northern California has quickly grown into one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history, with authorities reporting that it has consumed nearly 142,000 hectares by the morning of July 27. The Park Fire, which erupted on July 24 near Chico, California, in Butte County, has been classified as the seventh-largest fire in the state’s history by Cal Fire.
The fire has prompted evacuation orders for over 4,000 residents in the rural and mountainous regions near Chico, about 145 kilometers north of Sacramento. As of late July 27, the fire was only 10% contained, despite the efforts of over 3,700 firefighters supported by numerous helicopters and aircraft. The fire continues to spread, though cooler temperatures and higher humidity have slightly reduced fire activity.
Cal Fire’s report indicated that 20 structures had been confirmed destroyed by the blaze, down from an earlier estimate of 134. The destruction continues to be assessed as firefighters struggle with extreme conditions that challenge fire suppression efforts.
The fire has generated a towering column of smoke, which has affected air quality not only in California but also in neighboring states. Authorities have arrested a 42-year-old man suspected of starting the fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.
Residents like Julia Yarbough have lost their homes, with Yarbough showing the remains of her house, which was reduced to ash. The fire’s rapid spread has once again put the nearby city of Paradise under evacuation warnings. Paradise was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history, which claimed 85 lives. Many residents of Paradise, including survivor Ava Elsner, have been traumatized by the ongoing threat of destruction.
The Park Fire, along with other major wildfires in the region, underscores the growing risks posed by climate change, which experts say is contributing to more extreme and destructive weather patterns. In Oregon, the Durkee Fire, which started earlier in July, has consumed nearly 117,000 hectares and remains only partially contained.
