The Park fire—California’s largest and currently burning through Northern California—has grown to nearly 671 square miles, mostly in Tehama County, as firefighters battle winds and weather to contain it.
The fire was 38 percent contained by Monday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Management (Cal Fire).
Some parts of the massive burn are safe enough to allow some residents to return to their homes in Butte, Tehama, Shasta, and Plumas counties, authorities said. However, some evacuation orders and warnings remained in place.
Firefighters held the fire within its current boundary Sunday night in the Lassen National Forest. Crews attacked flames head-on near control lines, supported by aircraft, according to national forest officials.
Firefighters were expected to continue aggressively containing the flames in the forest Monday, and remove hazardous trees in the area.
Several of the nearly 6,000 firefighting personnel dedicated to the fire were mopping up areas already burned by the blaze, which involves removing brush and trees and extinguishing all burning or smoldering material along containment lines.
Cooler temperatures were expected in the area by Monday afternoon, bringing wind gusts from 24 to 27 miles per hour. That could spark more fire activity, according to fire officials.
“We’ve got some atmospheric instability that can lead to active and erratic fire behavior,” Jan Smoots, a fire behavior analyst for Cal Fire, said in the Monday morning update.
The fire could get into dry areas in the valley and heavy timber in the mountainous region, he said.
“There is potential for reburn,” Smoots said. “We’re seeing flare ups and a lot of heat along the line.”
Crozier Fire
A slow-burning blaze in El Dorado County—the Crozier fire—remained about 3 square miles Monday as firefighters had reached 36 percent containment of its perimeter.The fire started Aug. 6 and continues to burn in a remote mountainous area about 50 miles west of Lake Tahoe.
About 1,800 fire personnel were assigned to fight the fire as of Monday.
“Minimal burning activity was observed overnight, with smoldering trees, downed snags, and pockets of brush continuing to burn within the established perimeter,” Cal Fire reported Monday.
A large amount of brush remained nearby, which was a “significant concern,” according to fire officials.
Improving weather conditions and a gradual cooling trend in the area, however, were expected to help firefighters mop up the area and further contain the blaze.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office allowed residents of Georgetown, Garden Valley, Volcanoville, and Quintet to return to their homes after evacuating them last week.
Residents were also returning to the communities of Mosquito and Swansboro Monday, according to Cal Fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
