California wildfire explodes, becomes largest in US

Firefighters watch as flames and smoke move through a valley in the Forest Ranch area of Butte County as the Park Fire continues to burn near Chico, California. Photo: AFP / Josh Edelson

By Joseph Ax, Reuters

Thousands of firefighters were battling a rapidly growing wildfire in northern California on Saturday after the blaze more than doubled in size in a 24-hour span.

The Park Fire had burned more than 350,000 acres (141,640ha) about 144km north of the state capital city of Sacramento as of Saturday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Cooler temperatures and more humid air were expected in the region, potentially helping efforts to slow the spread of the fire, which was still 0 percent contained. The fire has destroyed 134 structures, authorities said.

Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for multiple communities in several counties, including a warning for Paradise, the town that was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in the state's history.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the fire and has directed his team to do everything possible to support efforts to fight it, a White House official said.

A man was arrested on Thursday on suspicion that he started the Park Fire by pushing a flaming car into a gully on Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was the largest of dozens across the country that have burned more than two million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

In Oregon, several fires were burning, including the Durkee Fire, which had scorched more than 288,000 acres in the eastern part of the state, authorities said.

A firefighter died after a single-engine tanker crashed near the Falls Fire in southeastern Oregon, the US Forest Service said in a statement on Friday.

- Reuters