Firefighters in FOREST RANCH, Calif. worked diligently on Tuesday to maintain the progress they had made against California’s largest blaze this year as temperatures were expected to rise later in the week.
Officials reported that containment of the blaze was at 14% and lifted evacuation orders in some communities of Butte County, where the Park Fire originated before spreading to a neighboring county and scorching an area larger than Los Angeles. The massive fire continued to burn through rugged, inaccessible terrain with dense vegetation, posing a threat to two other counties.
“That’s going to be a continued challenge for us moving forward over the next couple of days,” said Mark Brunton, an operations section chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Cooler weather had aided firefighters in halting the fire’s progression near communities like Forest Ranch, allowing some residents to return to their unharmed homes on Tuesday.
Christopher and Anita Angeloni, residents of Forest Ranch for 23 years, had evacuated multiple times due to wildfires in the past, including the devastating 2018 Camp Fire that claimed 85 lives in the town of Paradise, located about 8 miles south.
Christopher Angeloni mentioned the constant effort he put into creating defensible space around his home, and expressed relief upon returning home nearly a week after evacuating to find that his hard work had paid off.
“We were prepared to possibly lose everything,” he said.
Anita Angeloni described the past week as stressful, with a lack of sleep, constant tension, and tearful prayers. Despite the challenges, they remained hopeful for the future.
The Park Fire, now the fifth largest in California’s recorded history, was one of over 100 large active wildfires burning across the U.S. on Tuesday. It had scorched nearly 600 square miles of land, according to CAL Fire, surpassing the size of Los Angeles.
Some wildfires had been ignited by weather conditions, with the impact of climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes in the western U.S., where intense heat and dry conditions persisted.
The Park Fire was traced back to last Wednesday when authorities alleged that a man pushed a burning car down a ravine in Chico. The suspect, Ronnie Dean Stout II, was charged with arson on Monday after the fire destroyed almost 200 structures and threatened thousands more.
While cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and calmer winds in recent days had allowed firefighters to achieve 14% containment of the Park Fire, evacuation orders remained in place for 25 wildfires, affecting over 27,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel assigned to various blazes across the country.
In Southern California, residents in Kern and Tulare counties were forced to evacuate due to a fire sweeping through the Sequoia National Forest, with the historic mining town of Havilah facing destruction as a result of the Borel Fire.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was scheduled to visit Havilah later on Tuesday to assess the situation firsthand.
The wildfires plaguing California have stretched the state’s firefighting capabilities to their limits, prompting assistance from other states. Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott had sent more than two dozen fire engines to help combat the Park Fire this week, demonstrating a spirit of solidarity in times of crisis.
Amidst the devastation caused by the fires, there was a sense of resilience and determination among residents like Ron Ward, who refused to leave his ranch in Cohasset despite evacuation orders. As he reflected on the history and legacy of his family’s ranch, Ward emphasized the importance of preserving the land for future generations.
“There’s a lot of history here,” Ward said. “So we live on this ranch, and we’re committed to this ranch and preserving the ranch.”
Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. AP writers Eugene Garcia, Tran Nguyen and Rebecca Boone contributed.
