Park Fire Is Now 4th-Largest in California History and Growing Amid Dangerous Weather

Nine days after it ignited and tore through brush and woodland north of Chico, the Park Fire has become the fourth-largest wildfire in California history as firefighters brace for dangerous conditions in the coming days.

The blaze has burned 397,629 acres, surpassing the size of the 2020 SCU Lightning Complex Fires that scorched parts of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. It has destroyed 542 structures, including hundreds of homes, and damaged an additional 50, according to Cal Fire.

Crews have made progress in the firefight, strengthening control lines and increasing containment to 24% by Friday morning, but officials warned that changes in the weather could spur extreme fire behavior and cause the blaze to grow in multiple directions. Conditions will remain hot, with highs forecast from 98 to 103 degrees, and incoming thunderstorms could bring strong winds and the potential for lightning strikes.

“We’re in preparation, and preparing for what Mother Nature has to come for us,” Cal Fire Incident Commander Billy See said. “We anticipate potential dry lightning. We anticipate thunderstorms building up, especially in the upper canyons and upper elevations.”

Firefighters are battling the blaze across more than 200 miles of active fire front, working in difficult terrain that has hampered their efforts and disrupted radio communications, according to Cal Fire’s latest incident update on Friday. Heavy smoke also has made it difficult to fly firefighting aircraft, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said.

The fire is burning in Tehama, Butte, Shasta and Plumas counties and has pushed deeper into Lassen National Forest. As the blaze climbs into higher elevations in the forest, it’s being fueled by more trees and brush, complicating the firefight, Cal Fire said.

The fire is still active in the canyons of Deer, Mill and Antelope creeks, where it threatens vulnerable populations of spring-run Chinook salmon.

Local law enforcement is patrolling the evacuation zones to guard against trespassing and looting.

KQED’s Nina Thorsen and Keith Mizuguchi contributed to this report.