4000 helpers in action

First successes against fire inferno in California

(Bild: Getty Images)

The fire department is making initial progress in the fight against the wildfires that have been raging for days in northern California. Around twelve percent of the fire north of Sacramento has been contained, according to Billy See from Cal Fire. At times, so-called fire tornadoes developed (see video above). 

Just a few days ago, the so-called "Park Fire" was completely out of control and had quickly spread to an area of over 1,450 square kilometers - more than the size of the city of Los Angeles. According to official figures, more than 4000 helpers were deployed. 

Entire areas devastated
According to initial estimates, almost 70 buildings were damaged or destroyed. However, this figure could rise. Around 4,200 people have been asked to leave the danger zone.

According to Cal Fire, this is the seventh largest fire in the history of the west coast state. Entire areas have been devastated.

The fire department is battling the Park Fire: 

According to initial investigations, the "Park Fire" may have been caused by arson. According to the police, they arrested a 42-year-old suspect last week. Investigators in Butte County assumed that the man had pushed a burning car down a steep embankment near the town of Chico and thus started the fire.

Dozens of arrests for arson
This is not an isolated case. This year alone, there have been more than 54 arrests for arson across the country, Cal Fire announced on X. The authority pointed out the high risk of fire: "Every spark has the potential to become the next blazing wildfire."

The fire was initially fueled by constant winds and high temperatures, among other things, reported the Los Angeles Times. Drought and the remote location also made access difficult for firefighters. Over the weekend, the firefighting work also made some progress thanks to cooler weather.

Weather facilitates extinguishing work
Temperatures, which had been over 37 degrees Celsius on Friday, had fallen to just under 30 degrees. The humidity has also risen. "We are using this weather to our advantage," the newspaper quoted a fire department spokesperson as saying.

The Park Fire could also be seen from space. Satellite images showed a large cloud of smoke rising from a yellow-red area. The US climate agency NOAA posted the images from Thursday on X.