CHICO, Calif. (NEWSnet/AP) — Firefighters battling the Park Fire in California are preparing for treacherous conditions this weekend when lightning and wind from thunderstorms might erode progress made over the past week.
The Park Fire, which has destroyed at least 480 structures and damaged 47, is one of almost 100 large fires burning across the western U.S.
It has spread over 614 square miles since its origin in a wilderness park in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of the Sacramento Valley city of Chico.
[Download the NEWSnet App for Your Phone]
The Park fire is the largest fire so far in California this year, and is the fifth-largest one in the state’s history.
The fire’s push northward has brought it toward the rugged lava rock landscape surrounding Lassen Volcanic National Park, which has been closed due to the threat.
“Lava rocks make for hard and slow work for hand crews,” Cal Fire said in situation report. “Crews are being flown into access areas that have been hard to reach because of long drive times and steep, rugged terrain.”
After days of benign weather, increasing winds and a surge of monsoonal moisture were expected to increase fire activity and bring a chance of thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday, said Ryan Walbrun, incident meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Other Wildfires
Dry, hot conditions are presenting similar threats across the fire-stricken West, where a number of major wildfires have been reported.
The Quarry Fire, which started Tuesday in Colorado, has since resulted in evacuations of nearly 600 homes in the Denver suburb of Littleton. Five firefighters were injured Wednesday, including four who had heat exhaustion, said Mark Techmeyer, a spokesperson with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
In the meantime, the Stone Canyon fire is threatening heavily populated areas of the Colorado foothills.
New, large fires also have been reported in Idaho, Montana and Texas.
Follow NEWSnet on Facebook and X platform to get our headlines in your social feeds.
Copyright 2024 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Leave a Comment