A rare fire tornado has swept through northern California as the Park fire, the Largest Wildfire in the state this year, grows significantly. The blaze, which started on Wednesday, has scorched over 239,000 acres northeast of Chico and remains completely uncontained.
Authorities arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of igniting the fire by rolling a burning car into a gully in Butte County. Dramatic footage shows the fire tornado— a swirling vortex of flames and ash—devastating the bushland.
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Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Butte and Tehama counties, with mandatory evacuations in place and significant property damage reported.
The Park fire, which ignited on Wednesday, has rapidly expanded from 1,400 acres to the Central Valley by Thursday. Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, has been arrested and accused of setting the fire, allegedly fleeing the scene by blending in with other residents. He remains in custody without bail while authorities determine the charges. A woman at Stout’s address in Chico claimed prosecutors are wrongly blaming him, asserting the fire started accidentally.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for northern Sacramento Valley, predicting high winds and low humidity could worsen the fire. The blaze threatens the Ishi Wilderness and Lassen foothills, areas not burned in nearly a century.
The largest wildfire in the U.S. is the Durkee fire in Oregon, which has burned at least 288,000 acres and was 20% contained by Friday evening. It started from lightning on July 17 and has destroyed ranch land and cattle, threatening nearby towns. Canada is also battling major wildfires, including one that has devastated half of Jasper, Alberta, with rain helping firefighters combat the blaze.
