The Park Fire is still burning in Butte and Tehama counties after more than two weeks as crews continue working in high heat and challenging conditions to control the arson-caused blaze, now the fourth-largest in California history.
The fire grew by less than 400 acres overnight to reach 429,118 acres on Saturday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Containment also rose slightly, to 36%.”This fire is difficult to contain due to near vertical terrain, limited fire history and dead and down fuel loading. Firefighters continue building direct line where possible and the fire is still actively spotting,” Cal Fire said in its report early Saturday.
While temperatures are expected to cool over the weekend, “Crews are working in high heat and challenging conditions,” the agency said.
The Park Fire continues to grow in the Mill Creek area, although fire crews have made “significant progress in building containment lines,” said Cal Fire.
Cal Fire said crews are expecting a cooling trend to start this weekend and continue into next week, with temperatures falling “to near, or even a few degrees below, the seasonal norm.”
Daytime highs reached the mid-90s in lower elevations, while humidity levels rose to the 15-20% range, the agency’s report said.
Wind could gust to 20-25 mph on Sunday afternoon over part of the fire area and “large diameter fuels will continue to burn, hampering control efforts,” according to the agency.
The Park Fire has destroyed 636 structures and damaged 49, according to Cal Fire. The fire has also burned 113,022 acres on the Lassen National Forest.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Park Fire update: Blaze reaches 429,118 acres, containment up slightly