Crews unable to increase containment on Park Fire

Firefighters made no gains in containment on California’s largest wildfire early Thursday while it continued to eat up acres in two Northern California counties and a national forest.

Cal Fire said the Park Fire remained active with spot fires starting in several areas as it grew to 426,528 acres total by 8:30 a.m. Thursday. It has burned in the Lassen National Forest and Butte and Tehama counties. and is the fourth-largest wildfire in California history.

The containment figure remained 34%, which crews reached on Monday, Cal Fire said.

The blaze has not caused any reported injuries, according to Cal Fire, but it has destroyed 640 buildings combined and damaged 49 others in Butte and Tehama counties.

According to the agency, the fire is expected to be active again Thursday, going fast up slopes and with spot fires expected. Crews are expected to battle the fire in temperatures expected to max out at 102 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The humidity is expected to be around 25%.

Aircraft continued to drop retardant on the fire, and crews are working to keep it within the perimeter of their containment lines, according to Cal Fire. In all, it has burned 109,253 acres on Lassen National Forest, the agency said.

Evacuation orders remained in place for areas of Tehama County, while warnings were in place in Tehama, Butte, Plumas and Shasta counties. Cal Fire said some areas in the southern most area where the fire burned have allowed residents to begin returning home.