CHICO, Calif. (CN) — The Park Fire has now become the fourth largest fire in California history, as officials say weather conditions potentially are changing for the worse.
The fire, which began July 24 near the city of Chico — about 90 miles north of Sacramento — had reached 399,437 acres on Friday. It was 24% contained.
The blaze has blacked over 344,000 acres in Tehama County, with the remainder in Butte County.
Started by a man authorities say pushed a burning vehicle into a gulley, the Park Fire has destroyed 538 structures and damaged 47. There have been no deaths linked to the blaze.
The Park Fire has led to the evacuations of thousands of North State residents, though many of those evacuation orders have since been rescinded. Officials urged people on Friday to remain cautious as they return to their homes.
“We still have other portions of this fire that are actively burning,” said Dusty Martin, an incident commander with Cal Fire, at a Friday afternoon press conference.
Over 6,000 people from across the state and nation are fighting the blaze. Three helicopter bases have been established, enabling firefighters to quickly access spots when needed.
Brian Newman of Cal Fire said firefighters have made strong inroads on the southern, western and northern borders of the blaze. Their main focus is now the general northeastern portion of the fire, which is the source of the large columns of smoke.
“Our job is to get you home quickly and safely,” said Dave Kain, Tehama County sheriff.
Changing weather conditions could bring challenges for firefighters.
“We do have some thunderstorms predicted for this evening and into tomorrow,” Newman said Friday afternoon. “We’re just seeing a few sprinkles here right now.”
Monsoon moisture is forecast to move from the Southwest into California, bringing with it cloud cover, the chance of rain and a small chance of lightning strikes, said Courtney Carpenter, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“It’s been dry and hot and now we’re going to see some changing weather up there,” Carpenter said.
Whether the change is good or bad remains to be seen. Some rain could aid firefighting efforts, while wind would fan the flames. The chance of lightning strikes is higher in upper elevations, away from the fire.
The weather conditions are expected to last through Saturday evening. Dry weather will then return, with highs around 100 forecast through Thursday and lows dipping to around 70.
The smoke from the Park Fire has affected air quality in the region.
The air quality around Chico, near the southernmost part of the fire, was unhealthy on Friday. Redding, a city some 73 miles northwest of Chico — a path that roughly parallels the western border of the fire — had moderate air quality.
The air quality in areas immediately south of the southernmost point of the Park Fire, like Yuba City and Colusa, ranged Friday from moderate to unhealthy. It’s almost an hour drive from Colusa and Yuba City to Chico.
A vast majority of the greater Sacramento area had good air quality Friday.
The man Butte County authorities have accused of arson in connection with the Park Fire — Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, of Chico — appeared before a judge Thursday, where his public defender asked for time to review the police reports before Stout enters his expected not guilty plea.
The next hearing is set for Aug. 22, Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said in an email. Stout remains in custody without bail.
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