National (WDNews) – The Park Fire in Northern California has now become the largest active wildfire in the nation, outpacing the 288,690-acre Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon. The Durkee Fire, which began on July 17 from a lightning strike, was 49% contained as of Sunday evening, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Park Fire has grown to 368,256 acres, making it the seventh largest wildfire in California’s history. The blaze, deliberately ignited last Wednesday, has already destroyed more than 100 structures and damaged at least five others. Fortunately, there have been no reports of deaths or missing persons.
With over 22 other fires burning across California, the state is facing one of its toughest wildfire seasons yet. The Park Fire alone has forced over 3,800 people to evacuate their homes.
The fire’s rapid spread is being fueled by dense vegetation and one of the hottest and driest summers on record. As of Monday morning, the fire remained only 12% contained, threatening more than 4,200 structures across Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama counties.
Firefighters continue to battle the blaze, working tirelessly to establish containment lines and protect threatened communities.
