After the fire broke out on Wednesday, it covered an area of 480 square miles and was moving rapidly north and east.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — The Park Fire continued to spread northeast of Chico overnight, prompting evacuations in both Butte and Tehama counties Friday.
Cal Fire said the fire was about 308,000 acres as of Saturday morning and had not yet been contained. After a fire broke out Wednesday that spread across 480 square miles and quickly spread north and east, authorities said a man pushed a burning car into a ravine in Chico and then calmly joined others who fled the scene. mixed together.
Forecasts say cooler temperatures could help slow the Park Fire, California's largest fire so far this year. The park fire's intensity and rapid spread led fire officials to draw unwelcome comparisons to the horrific 2018 Camp Fire that burned out of control near Paradise, killing 85 people and burning 11,000 homes.
“There's a lot of fuel out there and it's going to continue to spread at such a rapid rate,” Cal Fire Incident Commander Billy See said at a news conference. He said the fire was growing at an hourly rate Friday afternoon. 8 square miles of speed spread.
As the fire spread north toward Highway 36 and east toward the park, officials at Lassen Volcano National Park evacuated staff from the Mineral community, home to the park's headquarters, a community of about 120 people.
RELATED: Park fire burns quickly due to lack of fire history, officials say
About 134 structures were destroyed and about 4,200 structures were threatened, according to Cal Fire. Damage assessments are ongoing and may change as fire crews continue to battle the blaze.
The Park Fire is California's largest fire so far this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Plumas, Butte and Tehama counties because of the fires.
Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties. A warning was issued for parts of Plumas County Friday afternoon.
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An evacuation center is located at the Neighborhood Church, 2801 Our Lady Blvd., Chico. The small animal evacuation shelter is located at 2279 Del Oro Avenue in Oroville, and the large animal evacuation shelter is located at 1985 Clark Road, Camelot Equestrian Park in Oroville.
People in Butte County can sign up for emergency alerts here. People in Tehama County can sign up for emergency alerts here.
Cal Fire has opened an information line. Local residents can call 211, and those outside Butte County can call 1-866-916-3566.
Carly Parker was one of hundreds of people who fled their homes as the Park Fire approached in Chico, California. When a fire broke out across the street, Parker decided to leave the Forest Ranch residence with his family. She had previously been forced to leave two homes due to fires and said she had little hope that her residence would survive unscathed.
“I guess I felt like I was in danger because the police came to our house because we had signed up for an early evacuation warning and they ran to their vehicles after telling us we needed to evacuate ourselves but they wouldn't. Come back,” Five Parker, a mother of two, said.
Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, of Chico, was arrested early Thursday in connection with the fire and is being held without bail pending an arraignment Monday, officials said. The district attorney sent an email asking if the suspect had legal representation or someone who could comment on his behalf, but received no response.
Amanda Brown, who lives in the same neighborhood where Stout was arrested, said she was surprised someone would set a fire in an area where memories of Paradise's destruction are still fresh.
“It's extremely cruel that anyone could intentionally put our community through this again. I don't understand it,” said Brown, 61. He was about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the fire but had not been ordered to evacuate.
Stay informed
evacuation
Butte County Evacuation: An evacuation center has been set up at the Neighborhood Church, 2801 Our Lady Blvd., Chico. The small animal evacuation shelter is located at 2279 Del Oro Ave. in Oroville, and the large animal evacuation shelter is located at 1985 Clark Road, Camelot Equestrian Park in Oroville.
An evacuation map for Butte County can be viewed below.
Tehama County Evacuation:
Evacuation maps for Tehama, Plumas and Shasta counties can be found below. The Red Cross evacuation shelter is located at Los Molinos Vets Hall 7980 Sherwood Blvd.
Scroll down, click “View full screen” and view the map.
fire map
This map from the National Interagency Fire Center shows fire activity (may take a few seconds to load):
Watch more: As the fight to extinguish the park fire continues, officials with Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service say they have worked to treat land in the area in the past. Due to terrain and private land ownership, the fire could not be stopped.
wildfire preparations
If you live in a wildfire-prone area, Cal Fire recommends creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building that has been completely cleared of vegetation and other debris. At least 100 feet is recommended.
watch: What you need to know to prepare and stay safe for wildfires
The Department of Homeland Security recommends preparing an emergency kit that contains important documents, N95 masks, and supplies you can take with you if you are forced to leave temporarily. The agency also recommends that you sign up for local warning system notifications and learn about your community's evacuation plans to prepare yourself and your family in the event of a wildfire.
Some counties use Nixle Alerts to notify residents of severe weather, wildfires and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
read more: Are you ready for wildfire? Here's what to know about preparing for fire season.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text message, email or phone call. If you are a PG&E customer, please visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
What questions do you have about the recent wildfires? What would you want to know if you were affected by a wildfire? Please text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310.
