Footage captured on Thursday evening shows a fire tornado igniting the Park Fire in Northern California.
picture share The fire, widely reported on social media, started northeast of Chico, California, according to meteorologist Colin McCarthy. In the 24 hours before the fire, about 120,000 acres, an area the size of San Francisco, had burned. The fire's size is now estimated to be at least 145,000 acres, roughly the size of Atlanta. according to To Cal Fire.
Butte County authorities have arrested a 42-year-old Chico man on suspicion of starting the state's largest fire so far in 2024. The man was seen pushing a burning car into a ditch about 60 feet below, then calmly walking away while bystanders panicked and fled the scene. according to From a press release from Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey:
Timelapse #ParkFire There is a fire tornado happening right now just northeast of Chico in Northern California.
The fire grew to a staggering 120,000 acres (about four times the size of San Francisco) in just over 24 hours.
This fire was caused by arson when a man pushed… pic.twitter.com/JUpQgUCyrZ
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 26, 2024
As of Friday morning, the fire was only 3 percent contained. More than 1,100 personnel were responding to the disaster, and hot, dry local conditions may have encouraged the fire to spread. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries from heatstroke while fighting the blaze on Thursday, but were treated by medical staff and released from the hospital, officials said. Said CNN.
The building was damaged and possibly destroyed by fire, although at the time of writing there was no official data on the extent of the damage. (Related: Prepare for a Category 6 hurricane, but not in the way you think)
After several hours, #ParkFire Freelance videographer Tim Walton released footage of the shootout, which grew from 400 acres to a conflagration of more than 71,000 acres, consuming everything in its path.
This incident is a reminder to be prepared in advance. pic.twitter.com/JXkNyGgso2
— California State Fire Department (@CAL_FIRE) July 25, 2024
CAL FIRE is working with multiple agencies and the State of California to #ParkFire Butte County is under control. This morning, @CA Governor Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the city has been awarded a Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)… pic.twitter.com/mQrDLAKecy
— California State Fire Department (@CAL_FIRE) July 25, 2024
In this forecast of near-surface smoke concentrations, we can see several active wildfires that are causing the smoke many people are facing across the Western US today/tonight. Air Quality Warnings have been issued for many areas. Check to see if your area is affected… pic.twitter.com/xBxpTYyZaY
— National Weather Service (@NWS) July 25, 2024
Mandatory evacuations are in effect throughout Butte and Tehama counties, with about 1,500 people affected, according to CBS. report.
Footage shared online showed the chaos and destruction from the blaze, one of several burning across the North American continent on Friday. Radar imagery showed large amounts of near-ground smoke concentrated from each of the active fires, which also prompted air quality warnings in parts of the western U.S. share According to the National Weather Service.
