California fire rapidly becomes one of state’s top 10 biggest ever

CHICO, California – A fire raging out of control in northern California has rapidly become one of the biggest ever in the western US state, the authorities said on July 27.

The so-called Park Fire had burnt almost 142,000ha as at late morning on July 27, making it the seventh-largest ever recorded in California history, the state agency Cal Fire said on X.

The fire, which prompted orders for

more than 4,000 people to flee their homes

, was burning through a largely rural, mountainous area near the city of Chico, some 145km north of state capital Sacramento.

“Extreme fire conditions continue to challenge firefighters,” said the agency.

The fire was just 10 per cent controlled, despite the efforts of more than 3,700 personnel with over a dozen helicopters and several planes, according to an agency update.

“Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow,” it said.

“Lower temperatures and higher humidity have reduced fire activity,” the agency said, while adding that the fire was still spreading.

The fire started on July 24 near Chico, in Butte County, and within hours had devastated a wide area there and in neighbouring Tehama County.

Cal Fire’s latest update said 20 structures were confirmed to have been destroyed by the fire, down from an earlier estimate of 134.

The agency added that the numbers were expected to fluctuate as officials assess the damage on the ground.

The blaze has generated an enormous column of dense grey smoke, which has also been blown over nearby states.

On July 25, police

detained a 42-year-old man

on suspicion of having started the fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.

Some residents, such as Ms Julia Yarbough, have already seen their homes reduced to ashes.

“This is what’s left of my house,” she told CBS on July 26, showing the blackened and still smoking debris.

Chico is only about 24km from Paradise, a city devastated by a 2018 fire that ranked as California’s most deadly ever, claiming 85 lives.

The explosive growth of the fire has again placed Paradise under evacuation warning, unleashing painful memories for its residents.

Ms Ava Elsner, who lived through the 2018 fire, told CNN she was worried about her neighbours as the Park Fire continued to blaze.

“I don’t want anyone else to experience this. It’s the most traumatising, terrifying, and saddening thing to have a whole community go up in flames,” she said.

Experts say climate change, accelerated by human action, is leading to more extreme weather events.

In Oregon, the Durkee Fire, which started earlier in July, has consumed nearly 117,000ha and was about 50 per cent contained, the state’s wildfire response and recovery agency said. AFP