California

The Park fire in the north of the state, only 3% contained, has burned more than 160,000 acres, including structures

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/26/california-wildfire-evacuation

The largest wildfire that California has seen this year grew again overnight, as thousands of residents remained under evacuation orders on Friday, and numerous structures have been destroyed as people flee flames licking above the tree line.

As of Friday morning, the fire, known as the Park fire and described as particularly aggressive, has burned more than 160,000 acres (64,700 hectares) over Butte and Tehama counties in the north of the state in two days, officials say, and was only 3% contained.

During a press conference on Thursday, local officials from Butte county said that there had been two minor injuries due to the fire, and said that numerous structures had been destroyed. Videos from local news agencies show entire landscapes, homes and cars engulfed by flames and smoke, while people rush to flee the area.

Evacuation orders were issued in parts of those counties, and the sheriff of Butte county, Kory Honea, said in the news conference on Thursday that approximately 4,000 residents, including in the communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch and other areas in north-east Chico, had so far been impacted by the evacuation orders.