Firefighters have made progress and were assisted by improving weather conditions on Sunday in the fight against wildfires that have devastated vast areas of the western United States. However, more evacuations and resources are still required as thousands of personnel work to contain the flames.
One of the largest wildfires in California this year, the Park Fire, was just one of over 100 fires burning in the U.S. as of Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some of these fires were ignited by extreme weather conditions, with climate change leading to an increase in lightning strikes as the western U.S. continues to experience intense heat and dry weather.
The Park Fire has burned an area larger than the city of Los Angeles as of Sunday, blanketing the sky with smoke and engaging thousands of firefighters. It has spread across more than 562 square miles (1,455 square kilometers) in inland Northern California.
Millions of people in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada were under air quality alerts on Sunday.
The Park Fire started on Wednesday when an individual allegedly pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then fled the scene. The suspect was arrested on Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Firefighters were able to increase containment to 12% on Saturday, thanks to cooler temperatures and higher humidity levels.
Although temperatures are expected to remain cooler than average through the middle of the week, the fires will not simply disappear, warns meteorologist Marc Chenard of the National Weather Service.
A “red flag” warning was issued for the region on Sunday, indicating that dry fuels and strong winds were escalating the fire risk, according to the weather service.
The National Weather Service also issued “red flag” warnings on Sunday for several areas in Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, in addition to parts of California.
Fires were also burning across eastern Oregon and eastern Idaho, where officials were assessing the damage caused by a group of fires known as the Gwen Fire, which had affected an estimated 43 square miles (111 square kilometers) as of Sunday.
In California, Paradise and other Butte County communities were under evacuation warnings on Sunday. However, officials stated that the fire’s southernmost front, closest to Paradise, was showing positive signs, with no expected movement towards the city of Chico.
The focus has now shifted to directly combatting the blaze and saving lives and property, according to Jay Tracy, a spokesperson for the Park Fire headquarters. Nearly 4,000 firefighters are battling the fire, with additional air support in the form of helicopters and air tankers. Tracy mentioned that reinforcements were on the way to provide much-needed relief to local firefighters who have been working tirelessly since Wednesday.
The Park Fire has drawn comparisons to the devastating 2018 Camp Fire that ravaged Paradise, claiming 85 lives and destroying 11,000 homes.
Parts of Cohasset showed signs of destruction on Sunday, with remnants of fire retardant covering mailboxes and vehicles, and burned debris scattered around. However, another part of Cohasset remained relatively untouched, according to Butte County fire chief Garrett Sjolund.
Managing evacuation orders in the area has proven to be a challenging task. Authorities were about to lift an evacuation order for Forest Ranch when reports of hot spots nearby prompted them to reconsider, as Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea explained.
In Southern California, around 2,000 individuals were under evacuation orders due to a fire spreading through the Sequoia National Forest. Fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation, the blaze had consumed over 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) in just four days, as reported by Andrew Freeborn of the Kern County Fire Department.
While no fatalities have been reported in the Park and Borel fires, Freeborn cautioned against disregarding evacuation orders, as it puts everyone at risk.
“When people ignore evacuation orders and later require rescuing, it diverts firefighters from their primary task of battling the fires,” Freeborn stated. “Given the speed and intensity of this fire, individuals should not wait until the last minute to evacuate. They need to move away from the danger zone.”
The historic town of Havilah and several other communities have been severely impacted by the fires, but it is still too early to determine the extent of the damage, added Freeborn.
The Park Fire has destroyed at least 66 structures and damaged five others, noted Tracy. The initial estimate of 134 structures lost was revised after on-site inspections, though the number could still increase.
Jerry White, who evacuated his home in Magalia, emphasized the importance of heeding evacuation warnings due to the severe risks posed by wildfires, drawing from his own experience of sustaining burns years ago.
“I don’t want to experience that pain again. Burns are excruciating,” White said. “I decided to leave immediately. Burns are no joke.”
Reporting by Boone from Boise, Idaho. Contributions to this article were made by AP reporters around the U.S. including Eugene Garcia, David Sharp, Becky Bohrer, John Antczak, Rio Yamat, David Sharp, Holly Ramer, Sarah Brumfield, Claire Rush, Terry Chea, Scott Sonner, Martha Bellisle, and Amy Hanson.
