NORTHSTATE, California — As the weather in the north of the state continued to milder this week, firefighters were able to further bring the Park Fire – the fourth largest fire in the state’s history – under control.
On Tuesday of this week, the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office lifted all remaining evacuation orders and warnings in the county. Multiple evacuation orders and warnings have been issued in Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Shasta counties in response to the rapidly spreading fire. However, no further evacuations are in effect and repopulation efforts are ongoing. A one-way traffic policy remains in effect on Highway 172.
According to Cal Fire’s morning update on Wednesday, August 21, the fire that has burned 429,460 acres in Butte and Tehama counties is now 57% contained.
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“Everything is looking very good out there,” said Robert Honish, meteorologist for the Park Fire incident, during the update Wednesday morning.
Crews continue to monitor milder weather throughout the fire area, which is helping with containment and continued building of the fire line. Officials said the fire’s heat signatures are diminishing, with most hotspots occurring within the fire line.
Although the weather has warmed up a bit since last weekend’s storms, another storm is expected to hit the northern part of the state this weekend. Starting Thursday, August 22, Honish says a weather system will move along the coast, bringing wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour. The system will officially reach the fire area on Friday, bringing significantly cooler temperatures during the day with the possibility of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms.
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Cal Fire said crews will work to contain the fire north of the Skyway, east of Highway 99, Highway 36, Manton Road, Rock Creek Road, south of Highway 44 and west of the Pacific Crest Trail.
The park fire broke out on July 24 in Upper Bidwell Park northeast of Chico and was man-made, authorities said. Investigators said Ronnie Stout II, 42, of Chico, was allegedly seen pushing a burning car into a ravine near Alligator Hole, where the fire first started. Stout faces several charges.
Come back for updates.
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