Important things to pack for a wildfire evacuation
A quick guide to the most important items to pack during a wildfire evacuation. Use this checklist to be prepared and keep yourself safe.
On Sunday, firefighters continued to battle the massive park fire that had expanded slightly overnight in Butte and Tehama counties.
Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, the fire spread to 53 acres, reaching a total size of 429,188 acres. According to Cal Fire’s map, it threatens the Mill Creek area and the town of Mineral in Tehama County, near the edge of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The map also shows the fire encroaching on parts of the 2021 Dixie Fire burn scar.
The Park Fire remains the fourth largest fire in California history.
According to a Sunday morning fire update issued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire remains contained at 37% as of Saturday.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, firefighting costs through Saturday totaled $165.4 million.
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The lines around the fire remained intact except for a few spot fires that popped up overnight. The fire continues to burn in brush and threatens to ignite dead vegetation and debris on the forest floor. These flare-ups allow the fire to jump containment lines, so crews are patrolling there, according to a Cal Fire update Sunday morning.
According to the update, Cal Fire crews will also build containment lines, secure existing lines and remove embers in the fire area on Sunday.
Firefighters hope that a slight cooling trend expected this week will increase humidity and help contain the fire. This slight drop in temperature, with daytime highs in the 30s, could also help reduce the risk of fire outbreaks.
More than 5,700 people are working to fight the fire.
“United partners have brought together firefighters to fully extinguish the #ParkFire,” Cal Fire said in the report.
According to Cal Fire, as of 7 a.m. Sunday morning, 52,937 acres had burned in Butte County and 376,251 acres in Tehama County, including 113,694 acres in Lassen National Forest. In the two counties, 641 homes, businesses and other buildings were destroyed and another 52 buildings were damaged.
Due to the park fire, highways and roads in the north of the state are still closed
According to Cal Fire, several highways and roads in the northern part of the state remained closed Sunday morning due to Park Fire activity.
- Highway 89 Passage through Lassen National Park is closed to all except for the evacuation of residents and emergency vehicles.
- In Butte County, Motorway 32 is closed on Humboldt Road.
- In Tehama County, Motorway 36 at Little Giant Mill Road, Plum Creek Road and Hogsback Road as well as at St. Bernard Lodge and County Road, Block E remained closed.
Jessica Skropanic is a reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and further on facebook.. Join Jessica in the Out! Still Cal Recovery Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, Please subscribe today. Thank you.
