CHICO, Calif. — June 19 update:
A vegetation fire near Chico is fully contained, according to Cal Fire officials.
Cal Fire officials said the fire near Upper Bidwell Park grew up to 402 acres.
Original story:
A vegetation fire near Chico that started Thursday grew exponentially overnight.
The Park Fire, burning near Upper Bidwell Park, grew to 402 acres, with fire crews containing about 75% as of June 19. The fire burned outside of City Park.
According to Cal Fire, the Park Fire sparked near Upper Park Road and Bidwell Park, northeast of Chico.
No evacuations are currently being issued for areas outside the park. In a tweet, the Chico Police Department said there would be crews mopping up the fire for "several days" to ensure a "secondary fire doesn't break containment." Crews are investigating the cause.
Fire Chief Steve Standridge said the initial call for the fire was around two acres, but the, "winds picked up and pushed the fire rapidly." He also doesn't anticipate any evacuation orders.
"There are very, very few homes that would be in any jeopardy unless it started to break containment," Standridge said.
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WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, 2020 was one of the most severe fire seasons on record as 9,917 wildfires burned 4.2 million acres. Over 9,000 structures were destroyed, and 31 people (civilians and firefighters) were killed.
California also experienced its first "Gigafire" because of the August Complex Fire, burning over 1 million acres by itself. Four of California's top five largest wildfires in state history happened in 2020.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
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