As of Saturday morning, the Park Fire in California has expanded to 400,956 acres, making it the fourth-largest wildfire in the state's history. Cal Fire reports that the fire has destroyed 564 structures and damaged 50 others.
Cal Fire noted that the Park Fire has been highly active in the past 24 hours due to hot and dry weather conditions, which have reduced moisture levels in the vegetation. The fire has remained active even during overnight hours due to atmospheric instability.
The Park Fire is currently burning across Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama counties and is 27% contained, according to the latest update.
This wildfire has surpassed the SCU Lightning Complex, which occurred in August 2020 and destroyed 225 structures. Firefighters are working diligently to build containment lines, covering an extensive area of 175 miles.
Weather conditions are expected to remain hot through the weekend, increasing the likelihood of active fire behavior and long-range spotting.
Across the country, a total of 94 large wildfires are currently burning in various states, with 28 of them having evacuation orders in place, as reported by the National Interagency Fire Center. In addition to California, fires are also raging in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Utah, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Nevada.
