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California weather will not assist fire fighters fighting massive blaze

The largest wildfire in the U.S. swelled to over 600 square miles (1,550 square kms) on Tuesday night, bigger than the city of Los Angeles, fire officials in California stated, as countless firefighters battled the blaze in a wilderness area north of Sacramento.

More than 5,500 firefighters from throughout California and other states were working around the clock to douse the Park Fire, burning in the state's Central Valley, about 90 miles (145. km) north of Sacramento, the capital.

The fire grew to 386,764 acres (156,517 hectares), ending up being. the 5th largest wildfire in Californian history, officials. stated.

The Park Fire on Tuesday exceeded the size of the 2020. Creek Fire in Fresno County, which burned practically 380,000 acres. ( 153,780 hectares), fire officials stated. But it is still smaller. than the state's biggest fire on record, the August Complex fire. of 2020, which burned more than 1 million acres (404,685. hectares) in 7 counties in northern California. The Park Fire - sustained by dry lawn, brush and timber - is. fast-moving, said Fire Capt. Dan Collins of the California. Department of Forestry and Fire Security or Cal Fire.

This fire has lots of fuel that is responsive to burning,. and it's tough to get to, he said. Our fire line is 260 miles. ( 673 kms) around, that's the size of three Lake Tahoes. It can. take two-three hours to get personnel in there over the. surface.

The weather condition brings no relief for fire battling conditions,. said Ashton Robinson Cook, a meteorologist with the National. Weather Service. No rain is in sight today, and hot and. very dry weather condition will dominate, he said.

Temperatures will reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 ° C) on. Wednesday and highs could hover at that level until next Monday,. he stated, with relative humidity dropping to as low as 7%.

The Park Fire, which was just 18% consisted of on Tuesday, has. forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 people and ruined or. harmed more than 192 structures, fire officials stated. No. injuries or deaths were reported.

Jeremy Hollingshead, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said that. sticking around clouds of smoke have grounded the 41 helicopters utilized. to drop water and fire retarding chemicals on the blaze.

Evacuations included Paradise, the town that was devastated. by the 2018 Camp Fire, the most dangerous in the state's history.

The male charged with beginning the Park Fire, apparently by. pushing a flaming vehicle down a Butte County gully last Wednesday,. was formally charged with arson on Monday, but waits for additional. charges, authorities said.

The guy, Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, California,. rejected misdeed at an arraignment on Monday, said Butte County. District Attorney Mike Ramsey at a press conference. It was. uncertain if Stout had an attorney.

Stout did not go into a plea however was rejected bail. His. arraignment was continued to Thursday, as more charges could be. added, Ramsey stated.

(source: Reuters)