Firefighters were battling a fast-moving wildfire in the U.S. state of California on Thursday, authorities said, with more than 3,500 people forced to flee their homes.
The Park Fire, broke out Wednesday evening in a park near Chico, on the last day of a heat wave affecting the region.
More than 1,150 personnel were deployed to fight the blaze, which was only three percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
A group of horses walk along a road as they are being evacuated during the Park Fire in the community of Cohasset near Chico, California, U.S., July 25, 2024. /CFP
As of 6:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, the fire had enveloped 50,565 hectares, according to CalFire.
More than 3,500 people had evacuated the area, Governor Gavin Newsom said.
The town of Chico, under threat from the fire, is located just 20 kilometers west of Paradise, a town that was destroyed by a massive wildfire in 2018, resulting in the deaths of 85 people.
The cause of the Park Fire remains under investigation, according to CalFire.
An operator sprays water while battling the Park Fire in the community of Cohasset near Chico, California, U.S., July 25, 2024. /CFP
A 42-year-old man suspected of sparking it was arrested "after an unknown male was seen pushing a car that was on fire into a gully" near the origin of the fire, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement.
The car completely burned, spreading the flames that caused the fire in the park, the statement added.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a "red flag" weather warning for "critical fire weather conditions" in the area, including wind gusts and low humidity.
The western United States has experienced several heat waves since the beginning of June, and dozens of fires are currently burning in the region.
Oregon, California's northern neighbor, is battling a mega-fire that is the largest in the country, having ravaged more than 108,456 hectares of forest and prompting evacuations in a rural region.
An animal runs through grass while fleeing flames as the Park Fire tears through the Cohasset community in Butte County, California, U.S., July 25, 2024. /CFP
The raging flames have created vast columns of smoke, affecting air quality as far away as neighboring Idaho.
Wildfires were also burning in western Canada, where part of the tourist town of Jasper has been destroyed.
Western North America has increasingly been affected by extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change.
In mid-July, Newsom warned of a fire season that was "shaping up to be very active."
Extreme weather events have become increasingly common thanks to global warming, experts say, largely due to mankind's fossil fuel use.
(Cover image via CFP)