California wildfire continues to burn as firefight looks to take advantage of cooler weather

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif — The Park Fire continued spreading overnight northeast of Chico with evacuations in both Butte and Tehama counties Friday.

Cal Fire said the fire is at about  348,000 acres and not any containment as of Saturday morning. The fire stood at 480 square miles and was moving quickly north and east after igniting Wednesday when authorities said a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then calmly blended in with others fleeing the scene.

The forecast called for cooler temperatures that could help slow the Park Fire, the largest blaze so far this year in California. The Park Fire’s intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.

During a Saturday morning briefing Cal Fire officials said their objectives were to box the fore to north of Skyway, East of Highway 99, south of Highway 44 and west of Skyway to Humbug Summit.

Officials at Lassen Volcanic National Park evacuated staff from Mineral, a community of about 120 people where the park headquarters are located, as the fire moved north across Highway 36 and east toward the park.

RELATED: Lack of fire history allows Park Fire to burn rapidly, officials say

About 134 structures have been destroyed and about 4,200 structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire. Damage assessments are ongoing and may change as fire crews continue battling the fire.

The Park Fire is the largest fire in California so far this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency for Plumas, Butte and Tehama counties due to the fire. 

Evacuation orders and warnings are in place in Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties. Warnings have been issued for parts of Plumas County Friday afternoon. 

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There’s an evacuation center at Neighborhood Church located at 2801 Notre Dame Boulevard in Chico. An evacuation shelter for small animals is at 2279 Del Oro Avenue in Oroville and for large animals is at Camelot Equestrian Park 1985 Clark Road in Oroville.

People in Butte County can sign up for emergency alerts HERE. People in Tehama County can sign up for emergency alerts HERE.

Cal Fire activated an information hotline. Local residents can dial 211 and people from outside of Butte County can dial 1-866-916-3566. 

In Chico, California, Carli Parker is one of hundreds who fled their homes as the Park Fire pushed close. Parker decided to leave her Forest Ranch residence with her family when the fire began burning across the street. She has previously been forced out of two homes by fire, and she said she had little hope that her residence would remain unscathed.

“I think I felt like I was in danger because the police had come to our house because we had signed up for early evacuation warnings, and they were running to their vehicle after telling us that we need to self-evacuate and they wouldn’t come back,” said Parker, a mother of five.

Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, of Chico, was arrested early Thursday in connection with the blaze and held without bail pending a Monday arraignment, officials said. There was no reply to an email to the district attorney asking whether the suspect had legal representation or someone who could comment on his behalf.

Amanda Brown, who lives in the same community where Stout was arrested, said she was stunned that someone would set a fire in a region where the memories of the devastation in Paradise are still fresh.

“That anyone could deliberately put our community through that again is incredibly cruel. I don’t understand it,” said the 61-year-old Brown, who’s about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the fire but had not been ordered to evacuate.

Butte County Evacuations: An Evacuation Center has been established at Neighborhood Church located at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd in Chico. An evacuation shelter for small animals is at 2279 Del Oro Ave. in Oroville and for large animals is at Camelot Equestrian Park 1985 Clark Road in Oroville.

A map of evacuations in Butte County can be viewed below. 

Tehama County Evacuations:

A map of evacuations in Tehama, Plumas and Shasta counties can be viewed below. Red Cross evacuation shelter located at Los Molinos Vets Hall 7980 Sherwood Blvd.

Scroll down, click “view full screen” and view the map. 

This map from the National Interagency Fire Center shows fire activity (this may take a few seconds to load):

WATCH MORE:  As the fight to put out the Park Fire continues, officials with Cal Fire and the United States Forest Services say they’ve made some efforts to treat the land in the area in the past. Due to terrain and private land ownership, there was no stopping this fire.

If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.

WATCH: What you need to know to prepare, stay safe for wildfires

The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, and supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and knowing your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.

Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts. 

Read more: Are you wildfire ready? Here’s what to do to prepare for fire season.

PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you’re a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.

What questions do you have about the latest wildfires? If you’re impacted by the wildfires, what would you like to know? Text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310.