California authorities have announced the arrest of a suspect linked to the state’s largest wildfire this year, which began when a burning car was pushed into a gully. The Park Fire, which has scorched over 110 square miles near Chico, prompted evacuations in Butte and Tehama counties and was only 3% contained by midday Thursday.
The arrested man’s identity has not been revealed yet.His alleged actions led to flames that escalated into the Park Fire. Fire personnel are prioritizing evacuations and protecting structures while bulldozers create containment lines, reported AP.
According to the CAL FIRE/Butte County fire department’s Thursday update, no deaths or structural damages have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, residents of Huntington were allowed to return home following a thunderstorm that provided much-needed rain but also posed a risk of new fires with its lightning. The Durkee Fire, the largest active blaze in the US, has burned close to 630 square miles. Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash described the rain as a “godsend,” though he reminded residents to stay prepared for sudden evacuation orders.
Lightning strikes along the Oregon-Idaho border started 15 new fires overnight in Idaho, according to the US Forest Service. Some of these new fires were already extinguished by Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Boise recorded over 2,800 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes across southeast Oregon and Idaho on Wednesday alone. Altogether, nearly 1,562 square miles have burned this summer in the Pacific Northwest, with Oregon grappling with 34 large fires, primarily in its eastern region.
Climate change has been increasing the incidence of wildfires sparked by lightning in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada, exacerbated by record-breaking heat, dry conditions, and high winds. Idaho Power took unprecedented measures by instituting a pre-emptive power outage to prevent new fires and other grid issues from downed wires.
In southern California, another wildfire threatened homes in San Diego County. The Grove Fire spread rapidly through steep and rugged terrain near the San Diego and Riverside county line, prompting evacuation orders on Wednesday night. By Thursday afternoon, the fire had grown to 1.4 square miles and was 10% contained.
Montana faced its own set of challenges with a fire warning in effect due to extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds. An extreme heat warning predicted temperatures could rise to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, increasing the risks. In the Missoula area, hurricane-force winds caused significant damage, including downed power lines and gas leaks, leading authorities to caution residents to avoid rivers that might be electrified.
Canada is also battling wildfires, with a particularly fast-moving blaze impacting Jasper National Park in the Rockies. The fire forced thousands to evacuate the town of Jasper and caused significant damage to the World Heritage Site. Several regions affected by these fires in the US and Canada have issued air quality alerts due to smoke and haze filling the skies.
The arrested man’s identity has not been revealed yet.His alleged actions led to flames that escalated into the Park Fire. Fire personnel are prioritizing evacuations and protecting structures while bulldozers create containment lines, reported AP.
According to the CAL FIRE/Butte County fire department’s Thursday update, no deaths or structural damages have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, residents of Huntington were allowed to return home following a thunderstorm that provided much-needed rain but also posed a risk of new fires with its lightning. The Durkee Fire, the largest active blaze in the US, has burned close to 630 square miles. Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash described the rain as a “godsend,” though he reminded residents to stay prepared for sudden evacuation orders.
Lightning strikes along the Oregon-Idaho border started 15 new fires overnight in Idaho, according to the US Forest Service. Some of these new fires were already extinguished by Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Boise recorded over 2,800 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes across southeast Oregon and Idaho on Wednesday alone. Altogether, nearly 1,562 square miles have burned this summer in the Pacific Northwest, with Oregon grappling with 34 large fires, primarily in its eastern region.
Climate change has been increasing the incidence of wildfires sparked by lightning in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada, exacerbated by record-breaking heat, dry conditions, and high winds. Idaho Power took unprecedented measures by instituting a pre-emptive power outage to prevent new fires and other grid issues from downed wires.
In southern California, another wildfire threatened homes in San Diego County. The Grove Fire spread rapidly through steep and rugged terrain near the San Diego and Riverside county line, prompting evacuation orders on Wednesday night. By Thursday afternoon, the fire had grown to 1.4 square miles and was 10% contained.
Montana faced its own set of challenges with a fire warning in effect due to extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds. An extreme heat warning predicted temperatures could rise to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, increasing the risks. In the Missoula area, hurricane-force winds caused significant damage, including downed power lines and gas leaks, leading authorities to caution residents to avoid rivers that might be electrified.
Canada is also battling wildfires, with a particularly fast-moving blaze impacting Jasper National Park in the Rockies. The fire forced thousands to evacuate the town of Jasper and caused significant damage to the World Heritage Site. Several regions affected by these fires in the US and Canada have issued air quality alerts due to smoke and haze filling the skies.
