Scott Weese of Cal Fire, which studies fire behavior, said at a briefing that Saturday was “the best day, weather-wise, that we’re going to see this week.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency Friday in Butte and Tehama counties. He said in a statement that “we are using every tool available to protect lives and property as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to battle these challenging fires.” More than 3,700 firefighters had been deployed as of late Saturday.
Evacuation orders and warnings were in effect Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. Roads, including parts of Route 36, remained closed.
Authorities suspect the fire started when Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, pushed a burning vehicle into a ravine in a lush wilderness area. Authorities said he has not been charged, but they plan to arrest him on suspicion of arson once they finish reviewing the evidence, The Washington Post reported. He is being held at the Butte County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Monday, according to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.
Here’s what else you need to know
The worst wildfire in California history was the August Complex fire in August 2020.burning more than a million acres. The park fire was the seventh-largest wildfire in terms of area burned as of Saturday night.
A fire that started in the Sequoia National Forest in Southern California has spread to more than 38,000 acres. The Borel Fire broke out July 24 on federal land in the forest, and the blaze has ravaged the communities of Havilah and Piute Meadow Ranches, the U.S. Forest Service said Saturday.
Unusually warm weather contributed to the fire risk. Record heat has been a factor in recent destructive wildfires in the state, including in 2020, when more than 4 million acres burned. California wildfires have burned at least 626,000 acres so far this year.
Brianna Sacks contributed to this report.
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