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Park Fire

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Coordinates: 39°46′44″N 121°45′42″W / 39.7789°N 121.76168°W / 39.7789; -121.76168
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Park Fire
Refer to caption
Smoke plume of the fire in Butte County as seen from the CARD Wildwood Park in Chico on the afternoon of July 25, 2024
Date(s)
  • July 24, 2024 (2024-07-24) –
  • present
  • (6 days)
LocationButte and Tehama counties, California
Coordinates39°46′44″N 121°45′42″W / 39.7789°N 121.76168°W / 39.7789; -121.76168
Statistics
Perimeter14 percent contained
Burned area385,065 acres (155,830 ha; 602 sq mi; 1,558 km2)
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries3
Evacuated>4,000
Structures destroyed192 (19 damaged)
Ignition
CauseArson
Map
The footprint of the Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties as of July 28, 2024
The footprint of the Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties as of July 28, 2024
Refer to caption
Refer to caption
The general location of the Park Fire in Northern California

The Park Fire is an active wildfire burning in Butte and Tehama counties in Northern California.[1] The fire ignited on July 24, allegedly due to arson, in Upper Bidwell Park adjacent to the city of Chico in Butte County. The fire defied initial suppression efforts and grew rapidly over the following days, burning into the Lassen foothills and Ishi Wilderness. Thousands of people in multiple foothill communities have been forced to evacuate, Lassen Volcanic National Park has closed to the public, and at least 192 buildings have burned in the fire. No deaths have occurred. The Park Fire is the largest wildfire of California's 2024 wildfire season, the fifth largest in California history, and the largest ever caused by arson in the state. As of July 30, 2024, the fire has burned 385,065 acres (155,830 hectares) and is 14 percent contained.[2]

Background

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July brought record heat to much of California.[3] The fire zone saw temperatures of 100–110 °F (38–43 °C) during the week before the Park Fire began.[4] Some areas within the fire's footprint recorded their hottest months on record in the weeks prior to the fire.[5] Evaporative demand—a measure of the atmosphere's capability to draw water out of vegetation and other sources of moisture—increased across much of the state and particularly so in the Central Valley, indicating a concurrent increase in fire danger. California had already endured an active beginning to the 2024 fire season: by July 23, the day before the Park Fire ignited, approximately 287,000 acres (116,000 ha) had burned across the state. This was more than twice the year-to-date average.[6]

Butte County, where the Park Fire began, has witnessed several of the state's largest, deadliest, and most destructive wildfires. The Camp Fire in 2018, the North Complex Fire in 2020, and the Dixie Fire in 2021 all burned at least partially within Butte County.[3]

Cause

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The Park Fire began near Upper Park Road in upper Bidwell Park, east of the city of Chico in Butte County.[2] Bidwell Park is a large municipal park and recreational area that stretches from Chico itself into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.[7][8]

Authorities believed the fire's ignition to have been an intentional act. Shortly before 3:00 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 24, Chico resident Ronnie Dean Stout II, driving his mother's car, pulled it over to the side of a road in the Upper Park and went over a berm. The car became stuck in grass and Stout revved the engine to try and free it, setting alight first the grass and shortly thereafter the car itself. Stout—according to the district attorney for Butte County—claims that here he panicked and left the car without moving it. Eyewitness accounts assert that Stout instead pushed the burning vehicle backwards off the embankment, whereupon it fell approximately 60 feet (18 m) and landed in a ravine. The car continued to burn, and the flames spread to nearby vegetation. Witnesses claim Stout joined the crowd fleeing the growing fire.[9] Stout was arrested the day following the fire's ignition.[10] The Park Fire is the largest arson-caused wildfire in California history.[11]

Progression

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An air tanker engages the Park Fire near its origin within Upper Bidwell Park during the early hours of the fire on July 24

The Park Fire ignited at 2:52 p.m. PDT on July 24 on Bidwell Park's eastern edge.[12][13] It was first spotted near Upper Park Road.[12] The first firefighting personnel on scene reported a fire of four to five acres (1.6 to 2.0 ha).[14] From its ignition point the fire spread north, burning some of the park's eastern portion, driven by winds out of the south of up to 24 miles per hour (39 km/h).[12][15] The area burned was reported by Cal Fire to be 1,000 acres (400 ha) by 5:54 p.m.[15] Evacuations in areas northeast of Chico began by 9:00 p.m.[16] The burned area increased to 6,465 acres (2,616 ha) by 10:15 p.m.[15]

As it spread north, the fire established itself in the Ishi Wilderness, an area with little history of wildfire, heavy vegetation cover, and few easy access routes for ground-based firefighting personnel.[12] The fire produced pyrocumulus clouds and burned actively into the night.[13] Despite the efforts of ground crews and three night-flying helicopters, the wind-driven fire continued to burn largely north—parallel to California State Route 99—until by morning it had burned into Tehama County and consumed more than 45,000 acres (18,000 ha).[16][17] During the fire's first 12 hours, it burned at a rate of 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) per hour.[4] The fire also generated a fire whirl.[18]

The fire surpassed 300,000 acres (120,000 ha) in burned area by the morning of Saturday, July 27, less than 72 hours after ignition.[11]

As of July 30, 2024, the fire had burned 385,065 acres (155,830 ha) and was 14 percent contained, making the Park Fire the largest wildfire in California in 2024 and the fifth largest in California history.[8][19] The fire has burned more than 52,000 acres (21,000 ha) in Butte County and more than 315,000 acres (127,000 ha) in Tehama County.[1]

Thousands of firefighters battle to contain California's Park Fire, as of 29 July 2024.[20] Greg Abbott, 48th governor of Texas since 2015, deployed resources to assist in California wildfire response.[21]

Effects

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The Park Fire makes a push up the cliffside north of Upper Bidwell Park an hour after ignition on July 24

There have been no reported deaths in association with the Park Fire.[22] At least three firefighters sustained heat-related injuries.[23] The fire has destroyed 192 structures and damaged 19 others. The fire is threatening a further 4,200 structures.[24] California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for areas affected in Butte and Tehama counties.[25]

Closures and evacuations

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The fire has prompted evacuation orders for parts of Butte, Shasta and Tehama counties,[26] including residential areas near Chico and the city's airport.[13] By the morning of Thursday, July 25, more than 4,000 people were subject to evacuation orders, including the entire community of Cohasset.[4][16] Included in the evacuation orders were specific areas to evacuate and shelter large and small animals. The Tehama County Sheriff's Office provided short escorts into specific evacuation zones for owners to evacuate or care for animals that may have been left behind.[27] The North Valley Animal Disaster Group hosted many evacuated pets and large animals for those evacuated due to the fire.[28] On July 28, Shingletown was evacuated on the north side of the fire.[citation needed]

On July 27, Lassen Volcanic National Park closed to the public and evacuated all employees from park housing, citing fears that the Park Fire could encroach upon the national park's western side, including Manzanita Lake and park headquarters in the community of Mineral.[29]

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The Butte County District Attorney's office announced the arrest of Ronnie Dean Stout II (born January 10, 1982), a 42-year-old resident of Chico on July 25, the second day of the fire. Stout was held under suspicion of having ignited the Park Fire by pushing a flaming 2007 Toyota Yaris—belonging to his mother[30]—off an embankment in Bidwell Park.[10] The district attorney's office alleged that the suspect blended in with other members of the public who were hastening away from the growing fire.[31]

Stout is being currently held in Butte County jail without any possibility of bail, "undoubtedly under a count of arson" according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.[32] Stout has two prior felony convictions, dating all the way back to a 2001 child molestation conviction in Butte County and a 2002 robbery conviction in Kern County.[10] After the latter, Stout remained in prison for 19 years. At the time of his arrest in connection of the Park Fire, Stout was on probation for a previous DUI charge.[33]

Growth and containment table

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Fire containment status Gray: contained; Red: active; %: percent contained;
Date Area burned Personnel Containment
Jul 24[34] 6,465 acres (26 km2) 216
3%
Jul 25[35] 124,948 acres (506 km2) 1,153
3%
Jul 26[36] 239,152 acres (968 km2) 2,484
0%
Jul 27[37] 350,012 acres (1,416 km2) 3,722
10%
Jul 28[38] 360,141 acres (1,457 km2) 4,742
12%
Jul 29[39] 373,357 acres (1,511 km2) 5,364
14%
Jul 30[24] 385,065 acres (1,558 km2) 5,582
14%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Park Fire: Incident Update on 7/29/2024 at 10:48 AM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Park Fire". Cal Fire. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Leonard, Diana; Sacks, Brianna (July 28, 2024). "Why the Park Fire exploded so quickly". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Hutchinson, Bill (July 25, 2024). "As California wildfire explodes to more than 45,000 acres, Oregon blaze becomes largest in the nation". ABC News. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Gaffney, Austyn; Taft, Isabelle (July 30, 2024). "How Did the Park Fire Get So Big, So Fast?". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  6. ^ Lee, Jack (July 24, 2024). "California 'atmospheric thirst' is drying out the state. Map shows where flash drought is developing". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  7. ^ "Bidwell Park". Explore Butte County. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Austen, Ian; Nauman, Qasim; Holpuch, Amanda (July 25, 2024). "Park Fire Balloons in California as Smoke Spreads in Northwest and Western Canada". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Bacon, John; Benda, David (July 30, 2024). "Arson suspect claims massive California blaze was an accident". USA Today. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Planas, Antonio (July 25, 2024). "Man pushing flaming car into ravine started Park Fire, burning over 120,000 acres in California, officials say". NBC News. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Edwards, Anthony; Devulapalli, Sriharsha (July 30, 2024). "Park Fire becomes California's fifth-largest wildfire in recorded history". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Graff, Amy (July 25, 2024). "Northern California wildfire balloons to 45,550 acres overnight". SFGate. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Parker, Jordan; Edwards, Anthony (July 25, 2024). "Park Fire rages near Chico, evacuations ordered". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Padilla, Ramon; Sullivan, Shawn J. (July 25, 2024). "Mapping the Park Fire: California's largest wildfire burns over 300,000 acres in 3 days". USA Today. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Hutchison, Jake (July 4, 2024). "Update: Park Fire reaches 6,465 acres — mandatory evacuation orders for numerous zones". Chico Enterprise-Record. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Toohey, Grace; Smith, Hayley; Serna, Joseph (July 25, 2024). "Massive Park fire sparked by man pushing burning truck into a gully, officials say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Serna, Joseph (July 24, 2024). "Fast-moving Park fire explodes in Butte County, forcing overnight evacuations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "'Firenado' swirls up from explosive Park fire north of Chico". Los Angeles Times. July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  19. ^ "2024 Fire Season Incident Archive". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  20. ^ "Thousands of firefighters battle to contain California's Park Fire, other western blazes - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  21. ^ Kovar, Heather (July 28, 2024). "TX Gov. Abbott deploys resources to assist in California wildfire response". KBTX. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  22. ^ "Park Fire in Northern California explodes in its first day". CBS News. July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  23. ^ Faheid, Dalia (July 28, 2024). "California's Park Fire now among state's top 13 largest ever as it consumes 239,000 acres". CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/30/2024 at 7:50 AM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Romero, Dennis; Alsharif, Mirna (July 27, 2024). "California wildfires consume more than half a million acres". NBC News. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  26. ^ Ables, Kelsey (July 25, 2024). "Evacuations as California's growing Park Fire in Chico engulfs 6,400 acres". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Kelley, James (July 28, 2024). "Evacuation and animal shelters available to Park Fire evacuees". Jefferson Public Radio. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  28. ^ Gottesman, Kyra (July 25, 2024). "Temporary animal shelters open for those evacuated from Park Fire". Chico Enterprise-Record. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  29. ^ Dowd, Katie (July 28, 2024). "Lassen National Park closes as Park Fire nears, rangers scramble to save history". SFGate. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  30. ^ Knight, Heather; Baker, Mike; Holpuch, Amanda; Yoon, John (July 26, 2024). "Park Fire, Now California's Largest This Year, Spreads Rapidly". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  31. ^ Robinson, Adam (July 25, 2024). "Suspect pushes burning car into gully, sparks massive Park Fire". KRCR-TV. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  32. ^ Sullivan, Ramon Padilla and Shawn J. "Mapping the Park Fire: California's largest wildfire has burned 307,368 acres in less than 3 days". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  33. ^ Sacks, Brianna. "What we know about Ronnie Stout, suspect in California's Park Fire". Washington Post. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  34. ^ "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/24/2024 at 11:26 PM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  35. ^ "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/25/2024 at 9:35 PM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  36. ^ "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/26/2024 at 10:03 PM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  37. ^ "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/27/2024 at 8:03 PM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  38. ^ "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/28/2024 at 8:07 PM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  39. ^ "Park Fire: Incident Update on 07/29/2024 at 8:44 PM". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
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