Firefighters Battle Fast-Moving Wildfire in California

Chico, The Gulf Observer: Firefighters in California were engaged in combating a fast-moving wildfire on Thursday, which has forced over 3,500 people to evacuate their homes, according to authorities.

The wildfire, named the Park Fire, ignited on Wednesday evening in a park near Chico, coinciding with the last day of a heat wave that had affected the region.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) reported that over 1,150 personnel were deployed to tackle the blaze, which was only three percent contained as of 6:00 p.m. local time on Thursday. By this time, the fire had spread across 50,565 hectares.

Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that more than 3,500 residents had been evacuated due to the threat posed by the fire.

The town of Chico, currently under threat, is situated just 20 kilometers west of Paradise, a town that was devastated by a massive wildfire in 2018, which claimed 85 lives.

CalFire stated that the cause of the Park Fire remains under investigation. However, a 42-year-old man suspected of starting the fire was arrested after an unknown individual was seen pushing a burning car into a gully near the fire’s origin. The car subsequently burned completely, spreading flames that ignited the park fire, according to a statement from Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

The National Weather Service issued a “red flag” weather warning on Thursday for the area, indicating “critical fire weather conditions” including wind gusts and low humidity.

Since early June, the western United States has experienced several heat waves, with dozens of wildfires currently burning in the region. Oregon, California’s northern neighbor, is also battling a mega-fire, the largest in the country, which has scorched over 108,456 hectares of forest and led to evacuations in a rural region. The intense flames have created vast columns of smoke, affecting air quality as far away as neighboring Idaho.

Wildfires are also burning in western Canada, where part of the tourist town of Jasper has been destroyed.

Western North America has increasingly faced extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change. In mid-July, Governor Newsom warned of an “active” fire season.

Experts attribute the growing frequency of extreme weather events to global warming, largely driven by mankind’s use of fossil fuels.