The destructive Park fire in Northern California continued to grow Aug. 8, fueled by hot weather and low humidity, as thousands of firefighters held containment at 34 percent.
California’s largest current fire grew to 666 square miles Thursday morning, about 4 square miles in 24 hours, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Thick smoke over the active fire region was expected to keep temperatures slightly cooler and increase humidity, according to the fire agency.
More than 6,000 firefighting personnel were working to contain the fire, which continued to burn through heavy brush and trees in some northern areas, especially north of Mill Creek, according to the fire’s operations chief John Frederick.
“Today, we’re really going to hit that hard with helicopters,” Frederick said during a morning briefing Thursday.
Crews extinguished a small spot fire that jumped the fire line east of Dairyville, about 35 miles north of Chico, before it reached half a square mile in size, Frederick said.
“We’re really battling these spot fires,” he said.
Low humidity in the region was forecast again Thursday. Fire officials expected smoke to form a large column over the fire’s active area in east Tehama County, as it has in the past few days.
Residents have continued to return home this week as evacuation orders were reduced to warnings. Fire crews are helping communities repopulate and watch for hot spots to emerge.
The fire has burned over 170 square miles in the Lassen National Forest, forest officials reported Thursday.
The Lassen Volcanic National Park, located in the forest, remains closed to recreation. Highway 89 through the park is also closed to the public because of the fire but remained open as an evacuation route.
“Today, crews and aircraft continue aggressive efforts to hold the fire within the perimeter and protect value at risk,” forest officials said in a Thursday update. “Slight incremental improvement in the weather is predicted over the area.”
