The Park Fire that started on July 24, 2024, in upper Bidwell Park in the city of Chico, in Butte County, has reached an 18% containment, burning in four counties (Butte, Tehama, Shasta, and Plumas.) It has become the fifth largest wildfire in California State history burning over 393,013 acres.
According to Cal Fire, 6,080 firefighter personnel, 41 helicopters, 516 engines, 182 dozers, 127 water tenders, and 12 crews are battling the blaze that has destroyed 356 structures in Butte County and damaged 43. In Tehama County 127 structures were destroyed and 244 properties damaged.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has toured the area and issued a state of emergency for the affected areas.
Evacuation orders have been changed as some have been lifted and others have been given as the fire has changed with the winds. They are as follows for the proper counties.
Butte County evacuation orders:
Zone 235, Zone 236, Zone 237, Zone 244, Zone 240 A, Zone 250, Zone 251, Zone 252, Zone 260, Zone 261, Zone 312, Zone 317
Butte County evacuation warnings:
Zone 149 – Chico, Zone 150 – Chico, Zone 120, Zone 240, Zone 241, Zone 245, Zone 246, Zone 253, Zone 281, Zone 282, Zone 283 North of Skyway, Zone 299, Zone 318, Zone 317 A – Richardson Spring Rd will be open, the rest of the zone will remain in an Order, Zone 312 A- This portion includes Cohasset Rd, Rock Creek Rd, and Sycamore Valley, Zone 262, Zone 263, Zone 264, Zone 265, Zone 266, Zone 267, Zone 268, Zone 269, Zone 271, Zone 272
Tehama County evacuation orders:
TEH-882-C, TEH-882-B, TEH-854-E, TEH-854-A, TEH-856, TEH-858, TEH-736, TEH-694-A, TEH-694-B, TEH-732, TEH-734, TEH-736, TEH-728, TEH-726, TEH-730, TEH-720-B, TEH-720-C, TEH-696-A, TEH-498-C, TEH-498-B, TEH-496-C, TEH-496-B, TEH-500, TEH-696-A, TEH-696-B, TEH-466-A, TEH-466-B, TEH-470, TEH-698, TEH-716, TEH-448, TEH-408, DLS-466-A, DLS-466-B, DLS-466, DLS-462-B, DLS-444, MAN-410, MAN-418, MAN-420, MAN-428, MAN-426, MAN-422, MAN-412, MAN-414, MAN-424, MAN-416, MLC-712, MLC-714, MIN-700, MIN-702, MIN-704, MIN-706, MIN-708, MIN-710, PCK-468, PCK-472, PCK-474, PCK-476, PSR-478, PSR-480, PSR-482
Evacuation warnings:
TEH-882-D, TEH-854-B, TEH-852-B, TEH-840-C, TEH-694-C, TEH-498-A, TEH-496-D, TEH-442, TEH-406, TEH-724, TEH-720-A, TEH-722, TEH-718, DLS-464, DLS-462-A
Plumas County has no evacuation orders at this time.
Plumas County warnings: PLU-001, PLU-040
Shasta County evacuation orders:
COT-8990-A, MAN-5000-A, MAN-5000-B, MAN-5010, MAN-5020, MAN-5030, MAN-5040, MAN-5050, MAN-5060, SHI-5070, SHI-5120-A, SHI-5140, SHI-5150, SHI-5170, SHI-5180, SHI-5190-B, SHI-5210, SHI-5220, SHI-5230, SHI-5240-A, SHI-5350-A
Shasta County evacuation warnings:
OLD-5090, SHI-5080, SHI-5110, SHI-5200-A, SHI-5270, SHI-5350-B, SHI-5400, SHI-5450, SHI-5460, SHI-5470, SHI-5490, SHI-5500, SHI-5510, SHI-5520, SHI-5540, SHI-5550-B, SHI-5320, SHI-5335, SHI-5380, MIL-5280, SHI-5270, SHI-5330-A, SHI-5330-B, SHI-5260-B, SHI-5260-B, SHI-5250, SHI-5250A, SHI-5340-A, SHI-5240-A, SHI-5390-B
Road Closures are as follows for the following counties:
Butte County:
- Cohasset/Rock Creek
- Skyway/Gypsum
- Highway 32/Platt Mountain Road
- Highway 32/14 Mile House Drive
Tehama County:
- SR 36 at SR 32, Staffed Hard Closure.
- SR-36 at Manton Rd, Staffed Hard Closure
Shasta County:
- Black Butte Road at SR-44 (No SB traffic at Black Butte)
- Wilson Hill at Wood Ridge (No SB traffic on Wilson Hill)
- Shingletown Ridge Road at SR-44 (No SB traffic on Shingletown Ridge Road)
- Southbound Wildcat Road at Black Butte Road
- Southbound Wilson Hill Road at Woodbridge
Evacuation centers are all the same per the CAL-FIRE website.
The City of Chico was planning a controlled burn that experts say would have kept the Park fire from exploding the way it did. Still, due to a lack of resources, which according to Yahoo News was 10,000 dollars and a day of work, the plan was not done, and the burn would have taken about 50 feet from where the Park Fire was started.
Firefighters have had the weather on their side but warmer, drier conditions with potential for thunderstorms are expected throughout the weekend, making some firefighter experts concerned.
Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, is accused of starting the Park fire by pushing a car on fire down a 60-foot ravine near Alligator Hole, in upper Bidwell Park, and calmly walking away, blending in with the crowd and being arrested at his place of residence in Chico, CA, the next day with the help of witnesses, arson inspectors, and Butte County District Attorney’s office Michael Ramsey.
Ronnie Dean Stout has been charged with a count of Arson with enhancements. He also has two previous strikes– one in 2001 for sexual molestation and another 2004 in Kern County for robbery causing great bodily injury. He is facing 25 years to life and has been arraigned in the Butte County Courthouse on Monday. He is expected to be in court again Thursday, August 1, 2024.
Stay tuned with the Roadrunner, local, and national news for more updates about the fire and other stories.
