Nearly three full weeks after beginning near Chico, the Park Fire was closing in on 430,000 acres early Tuesday and containment continued to move along slowly.
The blaze, which broke out on July 24, had consumed 429,263 acres by 7:30 p.m. Monday in Butte and Tehama counties, as well as in the Lassen National Forest, according to Cal Fire. It remains the fourth-largest wildfire in California history.
Fire crews have contained 39% of the fire, an increase in only 5% containment since last Thursday. The weather has cooperated to a degree, with temperatures dipping into the low 90s and the humidity increasing in the area.
That said, stronger winds have been present and have added to the challenge of containing the fire, according to Cal Fire. The agency said the fire is primarily burning in mature timber and that dead vegetation is also fueling its movement.
Crews worked to strengthen fire lines overnight and patrol the fire’s perimeter. Crews have used heavy equipment to remove hazardous trees along roadways and along the perimeter of the fire, Cal Fire said.
According to the agency, crews have prevented the fire from growing inside Lassen National Forest, where it has burned 113,376 acres.
They blaze has not caused any injuries but has destroyed 641 buildings and damaged another 52, Cal Fire said. All of those buildings are in Tehama and Butte counties.
Several evacuation orders remain in place in Tehama County, and evacuation warnings remained in effect for other parts of that county, as well as in Plumas County. All evacuation orders and warnings in Butte County have been lifted.
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