Thousands of firefighters were battling a rapidly expanding wildfire in northern California on Saturday, as the blaze more than doubled in size within 24 hours. The Park Fire had burned over 350,000 acres (141,640 hectares) approximately 90 miles (144 km) north of Sacramento as of Saturday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. The Park Fire was the largest of dozens of wildfires across the country, which have collectively burned more than 2 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. In Oregon, several fires were also burning, including the Durkee Fire, which had scorched more than 288,000 acres in the eastern part of the state. Tragically, a firefighter died after a single-engine tanker crashed near the Falls Fire in southeastern Oregon, the US Forest Service reported on Friday.

Source: The Nation July 28, 2024 13:53 UTC