California

Gavin Newsom makes declaration for three counties as thousands flee and hundreds of homes destroyed

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/27/wildfires-california-state-of-emergency

Multiple wildfires continued raging overnight in northern California amid dry conditions, high temperatures and wind, prompting the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, to declare a state of emergency in three counties. Newsom’s emergency declaration for the counties of Plumas, Butte and Tehama came as thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes. Hundreds of houses and other buildings have also been destroyed, though no deaths have been reported.

The Park fire, currently the largest of the year in California, was ravaging more than 307,000 acres (124,238 hectares) – an area nearly the size of Los Angeles – across Butte and Tehama counties as of early Saturday. Dry conditions had spurred the fire to increase at an alarmingly rapid pace overnight, according to California’s department of forestry and fire protection.

The Park fire had destroyed more than 130 structures as of Saturday, when thousands more buildings remained in danger of being engulfed in flames. “There’s a tremendous amount of fuel out there and it’s going to continue with this rapid pace,” Billy See, Cal Fire incident commander, said at a briefing. He said the fire was advancing up to 8 sq miles (21 sq kms) an hour on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Gold Complex fires, caused by lightning, were burning across 3,000 acres in the Plumas national forest. Fire crews had made progress battling that cluster of fires, 50 miles (80km) north-west of Reno.