Latest wildfire updates for Butte, Tehama, Shasta counties

2024-07-28 02:00:03

The Park Fire, California’s largest wildfire since the 2021 Dixie Fire, has led to evacuation orders in Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties, destroyed at least 134 structures and threatened thousands more. It’s burned more than 307,000 acres since a suspected arsonist pushed a flaming vehicle into a gully on Wednesday afternoon off Upper Park Road in Butte County’s Upper Bidwell Park. California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Butte and Tehama counties. Impacted residents will be able to access unemployment benefits more easily and will have fees waived if they need to replace driver’s licenses and records such as marriage and birth certificates.Here’s what else you need to know on Saturday. Park Fire acreage, containment and conditionsCal Fire said the fire has burned at least 348,70 acres as of noon on Saturday. That’s up from a previous count of 239,152 acres as of 6:22 p.m. on Friday. It’s burning “aggressively due to steep terrain and winds” and across grass, brush, mixed timber and dead vegetation, according to Cal Fire. More than 255,000 acres have been scorched in Tehama County and 52,000 acres in Butte County. “Extreme fire behavior has occurred due to the slope and winds aligning, causing significant growth,” Cal Fire said in a Saturday morning update. “Cooler weather and higher moisture in the air is expected for today in the region.” The fire was at 3% containment on Thursday but Cal Fire’s updates since then have not indicated any containment. Containment is not used to measure how much of the fire is extinguished. It instead gauges how much of a perimeter firefighters have established around the burn area to keep flames from spreading farther. On Friday afternoon, Cal Fire Incident Commander Chief Billy See said at least 1,700 people were on the ground fighting the fire, with air units also being put to use.As of Friday night, Cal Fire said nearly 2,500 personnel were working to suppress the flames.Jeremy Pierce, a Cal Fire operations section chief, said fire growth in the northern part of the fire has been “dramatic.” Spot fires have also challenged the fire line on Highway 32 on the northeastern side of the fire, he said.Park Fire evacuations, shelter information and road closuresPortions of Butte, Tehama and Shasta Counties are under evacuation orders and warnings. Parts of Plumas County are under an evacuation warning. During an evacuation order, there is an immediate threat to livelihood. It’s mandatory to evacuate in this case. An evacuation warning means that fire behavior could threaten nearby homes and businesses. During a warning, evacuations aren’t mandatory but they are encouraged.Here’s where to check the latest evacuation maps for updates. Butte County Evacuation MapPlumas County Evacuation MapShasta County Evacuation MapTehama County Evacuation Map On Friday night, evacuation orders were issued for parts on Shingletown and Manton. Officials also evacuated staff from Lassen National Park’s headquarters and shut down Highway 89 to recreational travel. See Cal Fire’s incident page for the latest information on road closures. Evacuation centersButte CountyThere is an evacuation center set up at Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd in Chico. A shelter for small animals is set up at 2279 Del Oro in Oroville and a shelter for large animals is at Camelot Equestrian Park in Oroville. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is also asking people evacuating from the Stirling City and Magalia areas to go south on Skyway and to not go north.Tehama County There is a Red Cross evacuation center at Los Molinos Vet’s Hall at 7980 Sherwood Boulevard in Los Molinos. An evacuation resource center is located at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 510 Jefferson Street in Red Bluff. A shelter for small animals is located at 22005 Gilmore Ranch Road in Red Bluff that is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A large animal shelter is located at Ridgeway Park in Red Bluff at 19725 Ridge Road and Corning Rodeo Grounds at Estill C. Clark Park, located at 103 East Fig Lane in Corning. Shasta CountyIn Shasta County, an evacuation center is being set up at Bella Vista Elementary School. Arrest made in connection with suspected Park Fire arsonThe Butte County District Attorney’s Office said a 42-year-old Chico man is accused of starting the Park Fire.Ronnie Dean Stout II was arrested after he was seen pushing his mother’s car that was on fire into a gully near the Alligator Hole in upper Bidwell Park shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday. That was around the same time the Park Fire sparked. A photo released by the DA’s office showed a vehicle and the nearby vegetation largely scorched. How the fire compares to past yearsThe Park Fire has become the largest wildfire in California since the Dixie Fire that sparked in July 2021 and went on to burn more than 963,000 acres.In 2023, the largest fire in the state was the Smith River Complex Fire in Del Norte. That fire spread to 95,107 acres.In 2022, the largest fire in the state was the Mosquito Fire, which spread to 76,788 acres.The total acreage burned by fire in 2023 was 324,917, while in 2022 it was 331,358 acres. | MORE |A 2024 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in CaliforniaHere are key websites that are important for all Californians during wildfire season.Cal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.