Firefighters begin to make some progress against California wildfires

Firefighters made progress and were aided by improving weather over the weekend in the battle against wildfires covering massive areas and leaving a trail of damage in the western United States, but further evacuations and resources have been necessary as thousands of personnel tackle the flames.

The so-called Park Fire, the largest wildfire in California this year, was one of more than 100 blazes burning in the U.S. on Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some were sparked by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the western U.S. endures blistering heat and bone-dry conditions.

The Park Fire had scorched an area greater than the city of Los Angeles as of Monday, darkening the sky with smoke and engaging thousands of firefighters. The blaze spanned more than 562 square miles of inland Northern California. At one point, officials said the fire was spreading at a rate of 5,000 acres per hour.

Winds and temperatures were expected to increase slightly amid a drop in humidity, officials said in an update early Monday.

Air quality alerts were issued for Monday in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada.

The Park Fire started Wednesday, when authorities say a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then fled. A man accused of setting the fire was arrested Thursday and is due in court Monday.

Firefighters increased containment to 12% on Saturday, aided by cooler temperatures and more humidity, officials said.

Although cooler-than-average temperatures are expected through the middle of this week, that doesn’t mean existing fires will disappear, said meteorologists at the National Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

The National Weather Service issued “red flag” warnings Monday for wide swaths of Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, in addition to parts of California, meaning dry fuels and stronger winds were increasing the fire danger, the weather service said. 




(AP Photo Nic Coury)