Thousands of firefighters were battling a rapidly expanding wildfire in northern California on Saturday, which had doubled in size within 24 hours, burning over 350,000 acres. The Park Fire posed a threat to multiple communities across several counties, including Paradise, prompting evacuation orders and warnings.
Cooler temperatures and increased humidity were expected to assist efforts in containing the fire, which remained 0% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Park Fire, located about 90 miles north of Sacramento, had destroyed 134 structures as of Saturday. Authorities arrested a man on Thursday, suspecting that he ignited the fire by pushing a flaming car into a gully on Wednesday afternoon.
California Fire incident commander Billy See said the fire has been spreading at a rate of 5,000 acres per hour, as reported by the BBC.
Approximately 2,500 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has been fueled by steep terrain and wind gusts.
The fire is the largest among the many burning across the country, having consumed an area over 1.5 times the size of New York City’s five boroughs.
In Oregon, several wildfires were also raging, including the Durkee Fire, which had burned more than 288,000 acres in the eastern part of the state.
A firefighter tragically lost his life when a single-engine tanker crashed near the Falls Fire in southeastern Oregon. The US Forest Service confirmed the fatality in a statement on Friday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Butte and Tehama counties on Friday due to the Park Fire.