On Saturday, July 27th, thousands of firefighters joined the battle to extinguish a rapidly spreading wildfire in northern California, which doubled in size within 24 hours to become the largest wildfire in the United States at the moment.
According to Reuters, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported that as of Saturday evening, the large-scale wildfire known as the “Park Fire” in Northern California had rapidly spread, burning over 350,000 acres (141,640 hectares) of land located more than 90 miles (44 kilometers) north of the state capital, Sacramento.
It is expected that the temperatures in the region will decrease in the coming days, and humidity will increase, which may help slow down the spread of the fire. As of Saturday night, 10% of the fire has been contained. Authorities stated that the wildfire has already destroyed 134 structures.
Several communities in multiple counties in Northern California have issued evacuation orders and warnings, including warnings issued for Paradise in Butte County, which was heavily devastated by the 2018 “Camp Fire”, the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history.
A White House official mentioned that President Biden has been briefed on the California wildfire and has instructed his team to provide all possible support for the firefighting efforts.
Last Thursday, a man was arrested for allegedly pushing a burning car into a roadside ditch last Wednesday afternoon, triggering the wildfire.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, this wildfire is the largest among dozens of wildfires across the country, having consumed over two million acres of land.
In Oregon, several wildfires are also burning, including the “Durkee Fire”. Authorities reported that this fire has scorched over 288,000 acres of land in the eastern part of the state.
The U.S. Forest Service stated in a release last Friday that a single-engine air tanker crashed in southeastern Oregon while involved in firefighting activities for another large fire, resulting in the death of a firefighter onboard.