California wildfire now fourth-largest in state history

WASHINGTON: More than 6,000 firefighters in California’s Central Valley continued to battle the largest blaze in the US on Sunday, which burned its way into the history books as the state’s fourth-largest conflagration on record.

There was barely a taste of rain on Saturday from thunderstorms that brought wind and rainfall of zero to one-tenth of an inch, forecasters said.

The heat of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) along with winds up to 25 mph or more in some spots, offered little relief to the firefighters trying to contain the Park Fire, scorching the wilderness terrain some 100 miles north of Sacramento, the state capital.

“We had some thunderstorms that just brought us down-drafts, that’s a problem,” said Christopher Young, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. “Lightning is a factor we worry about.”

Blazes from the Park Fire, started by an alleged arsonist who pushed a flaming car down a 60-foot gully near Chico, California, on July 24, has since burned more than 400,000 acres or more than 600 square miles, an area larger than the city of Los Angeles.

The 42-year-old man arrested had not entered a plea as of Saturday, but was charged with arson and held without bail, officials said.

More than 560 homes and other structures were destroyed since the blaze started 11 days ago, feeding off of downed timber and tinder-dry grass and brush. The fire was 27% contained on Saturday, officials said.