More than 4,000 people evacuated as massive fire rages

More than 4,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in California as a massive wildfire continued to grow dangerously on Friday, despite the intervention of 1,600 firefighters and raising concerns among authorities.

Since breaking out Wednesday afternoon in the northern Golden State, the Park Fire has spread with astonishing speed: It destroyed more than 280 square miles of forest and 134 structures on Friday, and was “0% content”The fire is growing at a walking pace in a rural area about a three-hour drive northeast of San Francisco, CalFire reported. The massive plume of black smoke it's generating is so large that some experts are comparing it to typical thunderstorm clouds in the American West.

The fires forced 4,000 people to evacuate from the villages of Cohasset and Forest Ranch, and forced 400 people to flee the small town of Chico. The massive wildfire brings back bad memories: The town of Paradise, where 85 people died in 2018 in the deadliest wildfire in California history, is now on alert and residents must prepare for any eventuality.

“You should be ready to go.”Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea was struck Thursday evening. “If the fire spreads, I can't promise or guarantee that we'll be able to save your life.”

Criminal origin

In villages that have already been evacuated, some residents “Ran out of gas” In their car, he lashed out. Some residents who fled the fire described to local media their arduous escape, along the only accessible road in the area, their headlights struggling to cut through the black smoke.

“It was definitely unsettling to know that this was the only way out.” Nico Shelton told the newspaper, Sacramento Bee. “I feel paralyzed. It's surreal.” Julia Yarbrough, whose home was destroyed by the fire, told CBS.

The fire was arson, authorities said. A 42-year-old man was taken into custody Thursday morning after he was seen pushing a piece of cloth “Car burns in a valley”according to the local prosecutor's office. The suspect was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2003. His criminal record includes sexual assault of a minor and armed robbery.

On the ground, reinforcements were sent from multiple locations in California to battle the fire. The National Weather Service issued a red alert on Friday due to strong winds that could spread the fire. “We don't expect a break before the middle of the weekend.”Butte County Fire Chief Garrett Sjolund warned.

The fire can last for weeks or even months.

“This is really the first fire in recent years in California where I would describe the behavior as unusual, and that's not a good thing,”Daniel Swain, an extreme events specialist at the University of California, Irvine, commented Thursday evening. The expert compares this massive fire to those that devastated California in the first decade of the 21st century, among the worst in the history of this western American state. “The only good news is that there are no major cities in the direct path of the fire.” He added that the fire might continue. “For weeks, even months.”

After two wet winters, the American West has been experiencing several heat waves since June, drying out the vegetation that had grown back, helping the fires spread. “We've been breaking (temperature) records…and this is over a very large area, stretching from northwest Mexico to western Canada.”He insisted.

Dozens of fires are currently burning across the region, including in Oregon and Canada. Scientists say the recurring heat waves are a sign of global warming linked to climate change caused by humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels.