Thousands of firefighters were battling a rapidly growing wildfire in northern California on Saturday, which had doubled in size within 24 hours, burning over 350,000 acres. The Park Fire threatened multiple communities in several counties, including Paradise, with evacuation orders and warnings in place. Cooler temperatures and more humid air were expected to aid efforts in containing the fire, which remained 0 per contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The Park Fire, burning about 90 miles north of Sacramento, had destroyed 134 structures as of Saturday. Authorities arrested a man on Thursday, suspecting that he started 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 an hour, BBC reported.
About 2,500 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has been fuelled by steep terrain and wind gusts.
The fire is the largest of dozens across the country and has consumed an area more than 1.5 times the size of New York City’s five boroughs.
In Oregon, several fires were also burning, including the Durkee Fire, which had scorched more than 288,000 acres in the eastern part of the state.
A firefighter lost his life after a single-engine tanker crashed near the Falls Fire in southeastern Oregon. The US forest service confirmed the death in a statement on Friday.
California governor Gavin Newsom on Friday declared a state of emergency in Butte and Tehama counties because of the Park fire.