Park Fire grows into California’s largest wildfire of 2024

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(KRON) — California’s largest wildfire of 2024, the Park Fire near Chico, continued growing on Friday morning with zero percent containment. Cal Fire officials said the 164,286-acre blaze was ignited by an arsonist who pushed a flaming car into a gully covered with bone-dry brush.

The Park Fire “exploded from a 400-acre fire to a more than 71,000-acre inferno consuming everything in its path” on Wednesday, Cal Fire officials wrote. By Thursday night, the aggressive wildfire had doubled in size to 145,000 acres as it spread in Butte and Tehama counties.

A structure is seen engulfed in flames during the Park Fire in the community of Cohasset near Chico, Calif. on July 25, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

One hundred thirty four structures, including many homes, have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Butte County Fire Chief Garrett Sjolund said thousands of residents were evacuated as the Park Fire threatened the communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch.

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The Park Fire’s rotating, intensely hot smoke plume was recorded on ALERT Wildfire’s remote cameras on the ground and NOAA satellites from space.

California-based climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on X, “The Park Fire continues to advance very rapidly and pose an imminent risk to people in its path. Fire behavior is extreme, and there are extraordinary images emerging of potential pyrovortices.”

Forecasters with the National Weather Service Sacramento told KRON4 that it does hot have verified reports of a fire tornado, also known as a “firenado.”

An ALERT California remote camera shows the Park Fire exploding beneath it on July 24, 2024. (Image courtesy UC San Diego / ALERT California)

Tim Fike of the U.S. Forest Service said gusty winds are plaguing crews at the Park Fire, causing new spot fires up to a mile beyond the main fire lines. “That’s been a big, big problem on the Park Fire,” Fike said.

On Friday, NWS forecasters issued a Red Flag Warning for the Sacramento Valley and wrote, “smoke will impact portions of Northern California.”

Horses are evacuated during the Park Fire in the community of Cohasset near Chico, Calif. on July 25, 2024. (Stephen Lam /San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

One family whose home was destroyed by the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise faced the same nightmare again this week. The Park Fire destroyed Robin Robbins’ house in Forest Ranch. A verified GoFundMe page created by one of Robbins’ daughter states, “They lost their home, animals, and everything they had. They … will have to rebuild their lives from the ground up for the second time in six years.”

An evacuation center is set up inside Neighborhood Church located at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chico.

Cal Fire wrote in its Friday update, “The Park Fire continues to burn very actively, especially when aligned with slope and winds, resulting in spotting and quick fire movement. The fire is burning in grass, brush, mixed timber and dead vegetation. This area is currently under a Red Flag Warning due to gusty winds and low humidity. Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions.”

5 Largest Wildfires Burning In California Right Now

Park Fire: Butte and Tehama counties. Ignited on July 24. 164,286 acres. 0% containment.

Flames consume a car and building as the Park Fire tears though the Cohasset community in Butte County, Calif., on July 25, 2024. (AP Photo /Noah Berger)

Lake Fire: Santa Barbara County. Ignited on July 5. 38,664 acres. 90% containment.

The Lake Fire’s smoke plume is seen on July 6, 2024, near Santa Ynez in Santa Barbara County. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

SQF Lightning Complex: Tulare County. Ignited on July 13. 22,326 acres. 20% containment.

Shelly Fire: Siskiyou County. Ignited on July 3. 15,537 acres. 89% containment.

The Hill Fire is seen burning in Humboldt County in July 2024. (Image courtesy Cal Fire)

Hill Fire: Humboldt County. Ignited on July 16. 7,111 acres. 17% containment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Amy Larson

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