Air tankers from throughout the state were flying over the Park fire Aug. 6 to help slow a rapidly burning section of California’s current largest fire near Lassen National Forest as temperatures in the region rose and humidity dropped.
“I ask each and every one of you to stay vigilant,” Incident Commander Chief Dusty Martin said during a press conference Monday afternoon. “This fire is still making a hard push to that east side.”
The fire continued to burn actively in some areas as overnight humidity level stayed low. The blaze was well-established in the Mill and Antelope Creek drainages, where it was expected to continue to build heat and burn out of control, fire officials reported Tuesday.
New evacuations were ordered in three areas of eastern Tehama County in or near the Lassen National Forest, where the fire was most active.
The Plumas County Sheriff also issued evacuation warnings Tuesday for two areas in northwestern Plumas County.
Fire personnel were in different stages of containing the burn, which had grown larger than most cities in the state Tuesday.
More sections of Butte and Tehama counties were in “mop-up” stages, allowing sheriffs’ officials to let more evacuated residents back into their homes Monday.
“As things are progressing day-to-day, we are closer than we have ever been to getting people home,” Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said Monday afternoon.
In Tehama County, the Highway 36 corridor and Paynes Creek areas were reopened after the sheriff reduced the evacuation orders to warnings. The county was also starting to prepare for recovery efforts as people are allowed back home, according to Kain.
Several areas in Butte County were also reopened to residents, including Butte Meadows, Forest Ranch, and Cohasset, the fire’s Operations Section Chief Mark Brunton reported Monday.
The Mill Creek drainage, which runs for 8 miles through agricultural land in eastern Tehama County, was a major area of concern, said fire officials. Heavy brush and steep terrain caused the fire to create more sparks on Monday, Brunton said.
“As the weather got hotter and drier, we started to see some flare ups,” Brunton said Monday afternoon.
Fire crews were aided by helicopters and other aircraft flying day and night, he added.
Nearly 6,600 firefighting personnel—including from Utah, Texas, North Dakota, Arizona, and Nevada—were able to continue building fire lines around the perimeter and reached 34 percent containment by 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials expected to get another 100 hand crew personnel by Wednesday to put on the line, Brunton said.
