The Park Fire in Northern California forces evacuations, destroys hundreds of structures, and threatens nearby towns.
On July 26, 2024, the largest wildfire of the year in California, known as the Park Fire, continued to burn through the northern region of the state, forcing more than 4,000 residents to evacuate. The fire, which started near Chico in Butte County on July 24, has rapidly expanded, devouring nearly 97,000 hectares by the evening of July 26. Despite the efforts of approximately 1,700 firefighters, the fire remains “zero percent” contained, with the fire growing by up to 5,000 acres an hour.
The blaze, fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions, has already destroyed 134 structures, although many others have been spared. The fire has produced a massive column of thick gray smoke, with storm-like clouds visible across neighboring U.S. states.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning, signaling critical fire conditions in the region, which has seen explosive growth in the fire. Butte County authorities, along with other fire departments, are working tirelessly to control the situation, while police have detained a suspect, 42-year-old Ronnie Dean Stout II, believed to have started the fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.
This fire comes on the heels of a catastrophic wildfire season, which has already seen 20 active fire incidents in California. Experts are linking the growing intensity and frequency of wildfires to climate change, a trend also visible in neighboring states like Oregon and Washington, as well as in Canada.
