Thousands of people in communities surrounding the Northern California city of Chico have been told to flee the area as the Park Fire continues to grow making it the 7th largest wildfire in California state history.
CHICO, Calif. – Thousands of firefighters have descended upon Northern California to get a handle on the historic Park Fire burning outside Chico, and dramatic images released by CAL Fire show the heroic actions of first responders putting their lives on the line to protect life and property.
As of Sunday, the Park Fire had burned more than 353,000 acres, making it the seventh-worst fire in California state history in terms of acreage burned.
A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California.
(CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
Since the Park Fire broke out last week, firefighters from near and far have arrived in the area. They have been relentlessly building containment lines and blasting the blaze with water and fire retardant from the ground and the air.
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A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California.
(CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
Photos released by CAL Fire show intense flames burning up hills and across the land, destroying plants and other vegetation as the wildfire grew in size.
The photos give perspective on how intense the fire is, with flames shooting well above the heads of firefighters on the ground.
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A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California.
(CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
Other images show firefighters racing to the front lines of the fire with hoses in hand, spraying the flames with water in hopes that the moisture and saturation would help slow the spread or put the fire out completely.
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An airplane is seen dropping fire retardant on the Park Fire burning outside Chico, California.
(CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
Another ominous photo shows smoke filling the air as the Park Fire scorches the landscape, but an airplane is seen emerging while dropping fire retardant on the flames to help try and prevent the fire from advancing farther.
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A burned vehicle smolders in the Paynes Creek area of unincorporated Tehama County, California, during the Park fire on July 27, 2024. The fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26, 2024. An arsonist is suspected to have started the fire which has burned more than 340,000 acres and burned dozens of homes. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Now photos are starting to emerge and show the devastation left behind after the Park Fire burned hundreds of thousands of acres of land.
One photo shows what’s left of a vehicle destroyed by the flames in the Paynes Creek area of Tehama County in California on Saturday.
So far, dozens of structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Park Fire. No deaths have been reported, but some people have received minor injuries.
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CHICO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: An old ranch house is reduced to ash near the small community of Payne Creek as the Park Fire continues to expand on July 27, 2024 near Chico, California. The Park Fire has grown to 348,370 acres and is still 0 percent contained. Strong winds and dried vegetation fueled the fire that exploded 70,000 acres in the first 24 hours after a man allegedly pushed a burning car into a ravine to intentionally set the blaze. In 2018, more than 18,000 structures were destroyed and 85 people killed in the nearby town of Paradise when the Camp Fire entrapped thousand of people and became the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Another somber image shows the burned-out remains of a home near Payne Creek, with only a stove remaining.
Thousands of residents in portions of four California counties—Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama—have been told to flee their homes as the flames grow closer.
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This image shows flames from California’s Park Fire burning near Chico devouring the landscape. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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This image shows flames from California’s Park Fire burning near Chico devouring the landscape. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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This image shows flames from California’s Park Fire burning near Chico devouring the landscape. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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This image shows flames from California’s Park Fire burning near Chico devouring the landscape. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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This image shows flames from California’s Park Fire burning near Chico devouring the landscape. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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TOPSHOT – A property is seen in flames as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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An airplane is seen dropping fire retardant on the Park Fire burning outside Chico, California. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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A firefighter is seen standing near the flames from the massive Park Fire burning near Chico in Northern California. (CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr)
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CHICO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: An old ranch house is reduced to ash near the small community of Payne Creek as the Park Fire continues to expand on July 27, 2024 near Chico, California. The Park Fire has grown to 348,370 acres and is still 0 percent contained. Strong winds and dried vegetation fueled the fire that exploded 70,000 acres in the first 24 hours after a man allegedly pushed a burning car into a ravine to intentionally set the blaze. In 2018, more than 18,000 structures were destroyed and 85 people killed in the nearby town of Paradise when the Camp Fire entrapped thousand of people and became the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) ( )
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A burned car during the Park Fire near Chico, California, US, on Friday, July 26, 2024. Arson investigators in California arrested a man on suspicion of starting the state’s largest wildfire this year – a conflagration that has prompted evacuations and threatened the state’s power grid. Photographer: Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images ( )
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CHICO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 26: A massive pyrocumulus cloud rises from the Park Fire, which has grown to 239,152 acres and is 0 percent contained, expands at a rapid rate on July 26, 2024 near Chico, California. Strong winds and dried vegetation fueled the fire that exploded 70,000 acres in the first 24 hours after a man allegedly pushed a burning car into a ravine to intentionally set the blaze. In 2018, more than 18,000 structures were destroyed and 85 people killed in the nearby town of Paradise when the Camp Fire entrapped thousand of people and became the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) ( )
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Flames from the Park fire whip across highway 36 near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. More than 1,150 personnel are deployed to fight the blaze, which has burned more than 180,000 acres and burned dozens of homes, and more than 3,500 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Resident Grant Douglas takes a drink of water while evacuating his wife and dog as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. More than 1,150 personnel are deployed to fight the blaze, which has burned more than 180,000 acres and burned dozens of homes, and more than 3,500 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Surrounded by flames, resident Grant Douglas takes a pause on the side of the while evacuating his wife and dog as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. More than 1,150 personnel are deployed to fight the blaze, which has burned more than 180,000 acres and burned dozens of homes, and more than 3,500 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A property is seen in flames as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Vehicles drive through flames ripping across Highway 36 as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A vehicle drives along Highway 36 while flames tear through the area as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A police car drives past swirling embers as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A fire engine drives past flaming highway guard rails as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A vehicle is seen in flames as the Park fire continues to burn near Paynes Creek in unincorporated Tehama County, California on July 26, 2024. A huge, fast-moving and rapidly growing wildfire in northern California has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate as firefighters battle gusty winds and perilously dry conditions, authorities said on July 26. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
However, CAL Fire said several roads are being closed across the region, which may impact potential evacuation routes.
Residents are being urged to monitor conditions closely and monitor local reports to be prepared to leave the area immediately if necessary.