The Park Hearth continued to burn aggressively Saturday, and the evacuation space in Butte and Tehama counties exceeded 1,200 sq. miles.

Within the 24 hours ending at  6 p.m. Saturday, the hearth grew by greater than 110,000 acres, to 350,012 acres (547 sq. miles), the California Division of Forestry and Hearth Safety mentioned. A preliminary survey indicated 134 buildings had been broken or destroyed.

However calmer winds and better humidity aided the firefighting, and containment was at 10% Saturday night, CalFire mentioned.

The map above reveals the approximate fireplace perimeter as a black line and the evacuation space in pink.

The fireplace crossed Freeway 36 late Friday; that highway and Freeway 32 had been closed by the hearth space. Freeway 44, the north boundary of the evacuation space, remained open.

The zones added to the evacuation order Saturday had been at that northern edge, in Tehama County.

Lassen Volcanic Nationwide Park was closed to the general public Saturday. Freeway 89 by the park is open solely as an evacuation route.

The fireplace began in a Chico park on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 24. CalFire investigators say it was arson.

For particulars of the evacuation zone, together with warning areas, see the Butte County evacuation map or the Genasys Defend map (Tehama County solely).

Initially Printed: July 27, 2024 at 12:28 p.m.