How does the Park Fire compare to Paradise? Here’s how Northern California wildfires size up

Northern California was experiencing a devastating case of deja vu on Friday, as a massive wildfire raged near the area destroyed by 2018’s Camp Fire.

As of Friday afternoon, the Park Fire had burned more than 178,000 acres across Butte and Tehama counties, leading to evacuation orders and air quality concerns, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The blaze has tripled in size since it started Wednesday afternoon in Upper Bidwell Park on the outskirts of Chico, Cal Fire said.

That’s about a 16-mile drive from Paradise, where the Camp Fire wreaked havoc.

“The Park Fire continues to burn very actively, especially when aligned with slope and winds, resulting in spotting and quick fire movement,” Cal Fire said Friday. “The fire is burning in grass, brush, mixed timber and dead vegetation.”

Here’s how the Park Fire compares in size and damage to the deadliest fire in state history:

How does Park Fire compare to Paradise wildfire?

As of Friday, the Park Fire had burned a total of 178,090 acres and was 0% contained after about three days of activity, Cal Fire said, making it one of the top 20 largest wildfires in modern California history.

Flames have singed communities including Cohasset and Richardson Springs and destroyed at least 134 homes northeast of Chico, according to initial estimates by Cal Fire.

More than 1,600 personnel were battling the blaze as of Friday, the agency said.

In 2018, the Camp Fire burned about 153,336 acres in Butte County.

That wildfire was active for 17 days, Cal Fire said.

How big was Camp Fire in 2018?

Nearly 19,000 structures, including homes and commercial buildings, were destroyed in the Camp Fire, which scorched the city of Paradise and a number of neighboring cities.

A total of 85 fire personnel and civilians died as a result of the wildfire, according Cal Fire.

That makes the deadliest wildfire on record in California.

In comparison, the Griffith Park Fire had a death toll of 29 people in 1933.

How did Northern California wildfires start?

Cal Fire arson investigators arrested a 42-year-old Chico man on suspicion of starting the Park Fire, officials announced Thursday.

The man was seen pushing a car on fire into a ditch near Alligator Hole in Upper Bidwell Park, according to a Butte County news release.

The vehicle reportedly rolled approximately 60 feet down an embankment, where it “burned completely” and spread into the Park Fire, the release said.

In 2019, state fire officials announced that Pacific Gas & Electric caused the Camp Fire.

PG&E power lines in the high hills of Butte County ignited the devastating blaze, Cal Fire investigators confirmed following a six-month investigation.

This story was originally published July 26, 2024 at 12:32 PM.