Park Fire containment increases slightly as crews keep wildfire’s flames within its footprint

The Park Fire burning in Northern California had not grown in 24 hours as of Tuesday morning as firefighters continued to work on containment of the wildfire, which had only slightly increased.

The Park Fire, as of Tuesday morning, had burned a total of 429,259 acres (670 square miles) with containment at 39%; up by a percentage point Monday morning, according to Cal Fire. Most of the fire activity remained in the northeast portion of the fire in Tehama County.

Fire behavior was subdued overnight due to higher humidity, according to a Tuesday morning Cal Fire situational summary. Flames are primarily burning in timber and dead and downed vegetation.

Jan Smoots, a fire behavior analyst for Cal Fire, said calmer wind expected Tuesday will reduce the potential for spot fires and create shorter burn periods that should now only last from the early afternoon to the early evening.

“Overall, things are looking pretty favorable for mop-up operations and keeping the fire within the current footprint,” Smoots told firefighters during a Tuesday morning operational briefing.

Spot fires occur when floating embers drift in the air land on the unburned side of a fire containment line. Conducting mop-up involves removing or extinguishing all burning or smoldering material along containment lines.

The wildfire has burned more than 376,000 acres in Tehama County. Flames burned nearly 53,000 acres in Butte County. The wildfire has also affected areas in Plumas and Shasta counties, where some evacuation warnings remained in placed Tuesday, according to Cal Fire.

Evacuation orders remained in place in some areas of Tehama County , while other areas remained under evacuation warnings. All Park Fire evacuation orders and warnings in Butte County were lifted last week.

The Park Fire as of Tuesday remained the fourth-largest wildfire in California recorded history . The third largest was the Mendocino Complex Fire that started in July 2018 and burned 459,123 acres. The August Complex Fire that burned 1.03 million acres in seven Northern California counties is the largest in state history; it killed one person and destroyed 935 structures.

The Park Fire, burning into its 21st day on Tuesday, started July 24 in Butte County just east of Chico after a suspected act of arson.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico is accused of pushing a burning car into a gully in Upper Bidwell on July 24, igniting what would become the Park Fire before emerging from heavy vegetation along the hiking path and joining evacuees fleeing the area, prosecutors have said.

Stout, who has been charged with felony arson, appeared in Butte Superior Court in late July and earlier this month for his arraignment but has not entered a plea. He is scheduled to return to court Aug. 22 for another arraignment hearing.

The Park Fire is California’s largest wildfire caused by arson in recorded history. The wildfire has destroyed 641 structures and damaged 52 others in Butte and Tehama counties, according to Cal Fire. The total includes infrastructure.

In Butte County, the fire destroyed 428 structures and damaged 47 others. Cal Fire said the fire destroyed 213 structures in Tehama County, damaging five others.

No fatalities to civilians or firefighters have been reported in the Park Fire, according to its latest incident update.