Since the Park Fire was ignited in Northern California in late July, it has become the largest blaze of the year and the fourth largest in state history.
But the fire could have turned out to be much worse if not for CAL FIRE’s proactive use of fuel breaks to curb the blaze from spreading even more.
Driving the news: The park fire was allegedly started by a man who pushed his mother’s car off a cliff into a ravine after it had caught fire on July 24.
- Since then, the blaze has spread across Butte and Tehama Counties to cover nearly 430,000 acres.
- CAL FIRE currently has the fire 99% contained.
- Ronnie Dean Stoutt II, 42-year-old man from Chico, was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire just days after the blaze ignited.
The big picture: CAL FIRE utilized a network of fuel breaks across 100 miles of private land, including the Highway 32 Fuel Break, to help stop the growth of the Park Fire.
- Firefighters were able to establish secondary fire lines and saved the communities of Forest Ranch, Manton, Mineral and Shingletown with the breaks.
Watch: CAL FIRE firefighters discuss the importance of using the fuel breaks to halt the Park Fire in the following video:
