A man who is being investigated for possible arson has been taken into custody. The fire started in the vicinity of Chico, California, and eventually spread, endangering more than 1,500 buildings and evacuating nearby areas.
Just before three o’clock on Wednesday, local time, the Park Fire broke out in Bidwell Park. By Wednesday night, it had rapidly grown to around 6,500 acres, and local authorities were rushing to evacuate residents who were in danger, according to CAL Fire in Butte County. Since then, the fire has spread to more than 124,000 acres, with barely 3% of it contained.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said that just before the fire started, witnesses saw a guy pushing a burning automobile down an embankment. The vehicle tumbled downhill for sixty feet before catching fire and igniting the surrounding underbrush.
The blaze quickly spread from there, necessitating an immediate evacuation. Ramsey said the arsonist made an effort to fit in with the other people who were frantically trying to flee.
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But after some time, detectives were able to identify their suspect, who was taken into custody and registered on Thursday morning at the Butte County Jail. According to Ramsey, he is being held without access to bond until his Monday court appearance.
Meanwhile, a Chico church is offering refuge to evacuated residents. Firefighters had a difficult time in triple digit heat. According to CAL Fire, there are over 1,100 firefighters on the scene and more are their route from all throughout Northern California.
The triple-digit summer heat and dry, windy weather that those firefighters are facing are killing them. Chico’s high temperature hit 106 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it’s expected to hit 100 degrees once more on Thursday. But by the weekend, temperatures will dip to approximately 90 degrees, signaling the arrival of cooler weather.
