According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), as of July 29, there have been a total of 175 wildfires burning over 10 acres in California. These fires have occurred in more than 40 counties, covering a total area of nearly 590,000 acres. Currently, there are still 16 fires that have not been fully contained, with containment rates below 35% in six of them.
The causes of these wildfires include arson, illegal fireworks, as well as natural factors such as lightning strikes. As of the 29th, there were 20 large fires burning over a thousand acres and 5 fires burning over ten thousand acres, including the Park Fire, the 2024 SQF Lightning Complex Fire, the Lake Fire, the Shelly Fire, and the Hurricane Fire.
Climate predictions indicate higher than normal temperatures in California from July to September this year. Due to the wet spring, small materials are more prone to ignition and spreading compared to larger wood, and vegetation below 3,000 feet is dense, increasing the risk of wildfires this year compared to the past 2-3 years.
On the afternoon of the 24th, 42-year-old Chico resident Ronnie Dean Stout was seen by witnesses doing something in his car and then pushing the burning vehicle 60 feet down an embankment, igniting the largest wildfire in California this year, the Park Fire. Suspect Stout has been arrested and is scheduled for a court hearing this Monday.
As of the 29th, the Park Fire has spread from Butte County to Tehama, Shasta, and eastern Plumas County. It is expected that a southeast wind will affect the fire area, with firefighting personnel strengthening existing fire lines and establishing new ones.
The current burn area has reached 373,357 acres, with a containment rate of only 14%. Tehama County has been the hardest hit, with over 310,000 acres burned. The fire threatens 4,200 structures, with 109 homes confirmed destroyed, 5 damaged, and thousands of people evacuated.
Cal Fire has deployed 434 fire engines, 116 water trucks, 166 bulldozers, 33 helicopters, 98 fire crews, and 63 other emergency teams from various locations, with nearly 5,000 personnel involved in firefighting operations.
The second-largest wildfire in July, the 2024 SQF Lightning Complex Fire, occurred on the 13th in Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County and may have been caused by lightning strikes, spreading to Kern County by the 29th. The containment rate is 33%, with the burned area exceeding 85,000 acres.
This is a complex fire that started with the Trout Fire on the 13th, spreading in all directions. By the 23rd, the Long Fire was burning in the northeast, and on the 25th, the neighboring Borel Fire erupted in Kern County.
As of the 29th, the Trout Fire burned 23,369 acres with 33% containment, the Long Fire burned 9,204 acres with 39% containment, and the Borel Fire, the most recent and fierce one, spread rapidly under “Red Flag” high-temperature dry conditions, reaching 53,010 acres in just four days with containment at 0%. As of the 27th, fire management has been transferred to the California Interagency Incident Management Team 14 (CIIMT) and Kern County Fire Department.
The third-largest wildfire in July, the Lake Fire, occurred on the 5th in Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County, burning 38,664 acres with 92% containment. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fourth-largest Shelly Fire occurred on the 3rd in Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, burning 15,520 acres with 92% containment. The cause of the fire is also under investigation.
Both fires were brought under control after burning for over twenty days.
From July 26 to 29, 10 new wildfires broke out. The Creek Fire in Alameda County had the largest burn area (464 acres) with 0% containment. Other fires with 0% containment included the Lammers Fire in San Joaquin County, the Honey Fire in Lassen County, and the Durfee Fire in Los Angeles County.
The recent wildfires in Southern California also include the Walker Fire in Riverside County with 90% containment, the Border 65 Fire and Trail 4 Fire in San Diego County with 50% and 75% containment, respectively.