Park Fire explodes in California. Wildfire now 71,000 acres as residents near Chico escaped flames

A Northern California blaze exploded Thursday to more than 71,000 acres across two counties — quickly become the largest wildfire in the state this year — forcing thousands to evacuate. Investigators arrested a suspected arsonist who allegedly pushed his burning car down a gully in a park outside of Chico, Butte County authorities said.

Firefighters have contained just 3% of the 71,489-acre (111 square miles) blaze, dubbed the Park Fire, burning across Butte and Tehama counties after sparks ignited Wednesday in the open spaces of Upper Bidwell Park on the outskirts of Chico. The wildfire, recorded by Cal Fire at 6,465 acres around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, grew seven-fold overnight to 55,000 acres before the latest acreage update at noon.

The suspect in the arson, who was arrested on a warrant issued Thursday, pushed a car down a gully near Alligator Hole, a swimming hole at the park, shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said. The vehicle fell about 60 feet and burned completely, prosecutors said. Authorities said they would release the suspect’s name Thursday afternoon.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office ordered the evacuation of areas around Musty Buck Ridge as wind spurred flames toward Cohasset, a community of 900 residents. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news release more than 3,500 people were uprooted from their homes.

The Camp Fire, California’s largest and most destructive wildfire, burned 90,000 acres in the first 24-hours. Ultimately firefighters stopped the decimation at 177,260 acres.

Firefighters, loggers and residents acted quickly to dodge the flames as the fire made Cohasset Road impassable. Authorities led a group of 20 vehicles uphill toward Campbellville to a helipad. Another 80 vehicles were guided by trucks on small logging roads in Sierra Pacific Industries forest lands, according to radio dispatches reviewed Wednesday night by The Sacramento Bee.

‘Everyone was just really helpful, looking out for each other’

Nikko Shelton and his family live on Cohasset Road and were told to go by 6 p.m. He and his wife escaped in two cars, his with the dog, Luther, the other driven by Melissa with two cats in tow. They were among the 40 evacuees in a caravan of 20 vehicles trying to dodge the flames while navigating treacherously narrow unpaved roads.

Shelton said dust clouded his view and others struggled to stay on the road. One vehicle was pulled out after slipping into a ditch, another car was abandoned outright, he said.

Despite the tribulations, Shelton said he believed everyone made it out OK.

He said the family got their first evacuation notice about 5:30 p.m. and were told to leave a half-hour later. By 7:30 p.m., the family and 10 other cars reached the welcome sign at the entrance to Cohasset only to be told to turn around and get out through the logging roads.

A “very helpful gentleman” from the logging company drove past the caravan, alerting them that the road had been cleared and gates that were closed had been opened. A second Sierra Pacific worker led them to the helipad above the town and “took a leadership role to get everyone together,” instructed people how to organize vehicles. They formed a convoy to get out. If any vehicle had trouble, they were told to honk so they could move to the front of the pack.

Six miles up the narrow road, the convoy stopped at a logging encampment to regroup. At that point, they the evacuees heard more homes were being told to get out, Shelton said.

The convoy reached Highway 32 around 9 p.m. and headed north toward Chester. He said the loggers made the difference in saving lives.

“Honestly, for the most part, everyone was just really helpful, looking out for each other,” he said. “You know, a couple vehicles didn’t have very much gasoline and they were all willing to offer up what they had.”

Now the Sheltons await the fate of their home, which they believed was still standing.

“It looks like the fire line that was established at Sigler Road is about two miles below my house, so hopefully we’re all good,” he said Thursday.

A spokesperson for SPI Industries confirmed in a statement that employees and contractors helped Cohasset-area residents evacuate.

Park Fire burning in steep, inaccessible terrain

The rapid spread of the blaze was due in part to the fire burrowing into heavily inaccessible parts, said Capt. Dan Collins, a spokesman for Cal Fire and Butte County Fire Department. Winds billowed up to 20 mph, with gusts reaching 23 mph, in Upper Bidwell Park about 8 p.m. Wednesday amid an imminent red flag warning, according to the National Weather Service.

Deploying ground resources to those heavily wooded parts proved “challenging” especially as flames charred regions with little to no fire history, Collins said. The vegetation provided lots of fuel for embers to ignite, especially as high temperatures raged, he said. Collins didn’t have a total number of structures that have burned.

A red flag warning — issued when a combination of warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds combine for dangerous conditions — was expected to last from 1 p.m. Thursday until 11 p.m. Friday in Butte and Tehama counties.

Park Fire map

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, IRWIN, FIRIS, NIFC, NASA, NOAA and Esri

Smoke drifted through trees and burned structures around Wells Island and Cohasset roads. Small flames still sputtered Thursday morning, destroying some structures.

Firefighters saved Odyssey Winery & Vineyards, 6237 Cohasset Road, but charred cars and homes were more common while traversing up Cohasset Road.

All that remained of a family-owned reptile store, Killer Clutches, 44 Rock Creed Road, were darkened pillars and a small frog leaping through blackened containers and cages.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state secured a federal grant to provide financial aid by allowing “local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75-percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs,” according to a news release.

Gusts could reach 21 mph Thursday in Chico, with an estimated high of 102 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Cameras operated by PG&E in the AlertCalifornia wildfire surveillance network showed flames devouring a communications tower along Richardson Springs Road on Wednesday as flames raced through river canyons and over ridges. The transmission cut out a few moments later.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office placed the following zones were under evacuation orders: 120, 149, 150-A, 250, 251-253, 260, 261, 262, 265, 266, 268, 269, 271, 311, 312, 317 and 318. It includes areas of Forest Ranch, Cohasset and Carpenter ridges. The area also includes the Chico Municipal Airport.

The following zones were under evacuation warnings in Butte County: 252 and 253, 273, 314, 315 and 316.

The Tehama County Sheriff’s Office ordered residents in zones 694-B, 726, 732, 734, 736, 852, 854, 856, 858, 882, 882-A and 882-B to leave the area. Residents in zones 694-A, 720, 726, 728, 732, 734, 840, 850-A and 852 were under an evacuation warning.

An evacuation center was set up at Neighborhood Church, 2801 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chico. Small animals may be taken to a shelter at 2279 Del Oro Ave., in Oroville and large animals can be brought to safety at Camelot Equestrian Park, 1985 Clark Road in Oroville.

The California Highway Patrol’s office in Susanville closed Highway 32 at Highway 36 due to the fire with no estimated time of reopening. More resources from around Northern California expected to descend on the region to douse flames, according to Cal Fire.

The cause is under investigation, Cal Fire said.