2 women illegally entered Park Fire evacuation zone northeast of Chico, sheriff says

COHASSET — Two women were arrested for illegally entering an area in Butte County under a mandatory evacuation order due to the Park Fire in Northern California, authorities said Tuesday.

Cohasset resident Delmara Apel, 41, and Chico resident Amy Jackson, 43, were booked into the Butte County Jail and face charges of unlawfully entering an evacuation zone, the county Sheriff's Office said.

As of Tuesday, Cohasset remained one of the many areas just northeast of Chico that were under mandatory evacuation orders nearly a week after the Park Fire started in nearby Bidwell Park.

Sheriff's deputies found a truck occupied by three people parked at a roadblock in Cohasset at Sycamore Valley and Cohasset roads. Upon locating the truck, the deputies determined that two other people—Apel and Jackson—had previously gotten out and entered the evacuation zone.

Apel and Jackson were located by deputies and arrested about a half mile away from a roadblock preventing people from entering the Cohasset area.

During booking, a body scanner used by the jail found that Apel was in possession of methamphetamine and a glass pipe. She faces an additional charge of smuggling meth into jail.

The Park Fire has since grown to be among the top five largest wildfires in state history and has affected four counties. It is the result of suspected arson, and one person has been arrested .