California’s largest wildfire this year, the Park Fire, has reached 40% containment after burning more than 670 square miles.
The blaze was allegedly started by arson on July 24.
The big picture: The fire, the fourth-largest in the state’s history, spread with astonishing speed in hot and dry conditions, predominantly impacting two counties – Butte and Tehama.
- More than 5,400 firefighters are actively working on mop-up and tactical patrol operations to achieve containment and make communities safe for repopulation.
- The fire’s impact included the destruction of 641 structures and damage to 52, with the weather becoming more favorable recently, leading to increased relative humidity that can help suppress the fire.
State of play: The wildfire primarily remains within Lassen National Forest, and a significant containment effort is underway, with other large fires in California currently having significant levels of containment, except for the Boise Fire in Six Rivers National Forest.
- A Chico man was arrested after burning a car and pushing it into a gully, which allegedly started the fire.
