California wildfires rage on, firefighters struggle to contain massive Park Fire

California’s wildfires are continuing to burn as firefighters work to contain them.

The Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties is currently the largest of California’s active fires and the state’s seventh largest wildfire on record. It has burned over 360,000 acres with only 12% containment as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.

The Park Fire started at a park in Chico on Wednesday and rapidly moved into wildlands to the north, blossoming to over 348,000 acres with no containment by Saturday afternoon, per Cal Fire.

It has surpassed the size of the 2020 North Complex Fire, and is closing in on the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire, which is the current sixth largest fire in California’s history.

Authorities allege the Park Fire was started when a man pushed a car that was on fire into a gully on Wednesday. A suspect, Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, was arrested on Thursday, Ramsey said. He was booked on suspicion of felony arson and held without bail, according to Butte County Jail records.

On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said “all hands are on deck” in the effort to contain the Park Fire.

“You’re hearing aerial assets above, putting all hands on deck,” Newsom said in a video posted to his X account. “350,000 acres and growing by the second. Over 2,500 personnel working the fire, working to hold the line, doing what they can.”

Active wildfires across California have consumed more than half a million acres as of last weekend, according to Cal Fire.

The Gold Complex Fire, which started a week ago, has consumed 3,007 acres and was 98% contained by Monday morning, the agency’s website indicates.

Elsewhere in California, the Borel Fire, which ignited Wednesday in the Sequoia National Forest, has already burned 53,000 acres and is 0% contained, according to the Sequoia National Forest. The nearby Trout Fire, which ignited on July 13, has burned more than 23,000 acres and is 33% contained, per the Sequoia National Forest.

Elevated fire risk continues for the West on Monday as a result of raging fires, with Red Flag warnings peppered across parts of California, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

Haze and smoke from the wildfires will push east into the Plains and Midwest Monday and Tuesday. Air quality alerts are up for parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Colorado.