A fast-moving wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and seriously dry conditions, authorities said Friday.
Fuelled by a crushing heatwave, the so-called Park Fire — the most intense wildfire to hit the state this summer — has rapidly devoured nearly 240,000 acres as of Friday night and is continuing to gain strength, AFP reported.
"This fire has been rapidly expanding 4,000 to 5,000 acres an hour," incident commander Billy See said at a press conference Friday evening.
For now it is "0%" controlled, despite the efforts of about 1,700 firefighters, according to state agency Cal Fire, with hundreds of additional resources ordered en route.
A total of 4,000 people have evacuated the towns of Cohasset and Forest Ranch, plus an additional 400 from the small city of Chico. Additionally, 134 structures have been destroyed so far, authorities said.
The fire started Wednesday near Chico, in Butte County, and within hours had devastated a wide area there and in neighbouring Tehama County.
It has already become the 20th largest fire in California history by land area in just two days.
Fire departments from across the state have sent crews to lend a hand.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the region through Friday night, predicting "critical" fire weather conditions.
Earlier this week, police detained a 42-year-old man on suspicion of having started the fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.
Butte County prosecutor Mike Ramsey identified the man as Ronnie Dean Stout II and said he would be held without bail until a court appearance next week.
Butte County experienced a devastating fire in 2018 that claimed 85 lives.
However, the current fire is not headed toward any large cities, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain.
California is experiencing an early start to what appears to be an intense wildfire season, with 20 currently active incidents and an additional 40 blazes threatening communities to the north.
Canada has also seen a spate of wildfires, including a huge blaze that has consumed much of the tourist town of Jasper in western Alberta province.
— Additional input from AFP
