California's Park Fire: Rapidly Growing Wildfire Surpasses 164,000 Acres with Zero Containment, Arson Suspected

Chico, California United States of America
Arson suspected as cause; suspect Ronnie Stout arrested and charged with arson.
At least 134 structures destroyed; evacuation orders for Butte County, Tehama County, and Shasta County.
California's Park Fire started on July 26, 2024, in Upper Bidwell Park Area of Chico.
Fire has grown to over 164,000 acres with zero containment.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared state of emergency in affected counties.
California's Park Fire: Rapidly Growing Wildfire Surpasses 164,000 Acres with Zero Containment, Arson Suspected

California's Park Fire, which started on July 26, 2024, in the Upper Bidwell Park Area of Chico, has grown rapidly and is currently burning over 164,000 acres with zero containment. The cause of the fire was an arson incident where a suspect named Ronnie Stout allegedly pushed a flaming vehicle into a ditch. The fire has destroyed at least 134 structures and forced evacuation orders for several counties and zones including Butte County, Tehama County, and Shasta County. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Plumas County due to the Gold Complex Fire and in Butte and Tehama counties due to the Park Fire. Evacuation centers have been set up at Los Molinos Veterans Hall in Tehama County, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Red Bluff, Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico, and Bella Vista Elementary School at 22661 Old Alturas Rd., Bella Vista. Rolling Hills Casino is accepting horses and cattle. People can pick up their mail at 550 Vallombrosa Avenue. A media phone number has been established for Park Fire information: 530-282-5808.

The fire's rapid growth can be attributed to high temperatures, low humidity, and dry conditions that have increased the threat of wildfires in the area. The first recorded instance of a fire tornado was near Canberra, Australia on Jan. 18, 2003 with winds up to 160 mph. On July 26, 2018, a fire tornado occurred near Redding, Calif., with winds up to 143 mph that destroyed structures and killed three occupants and one firefighter. Firefighters should remain vigilant for additional fire-induced tornadoes which could loft and spread embers, sparking new fires.

The Park Fire is currently the largest fire burning in California. It has surpassed the size of the 2018 Camp Fire which burned 153,336 acres and killed 85 people in Paradise. The person suspected of starting the fire, Ronnie Stout, was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with arson. More charges could follow.

High temperatures, high fuel loads, and dry conditions have increased the threat of wildfires in the area. Firefighters are racing to stop the onslaught of flames as they brace for winds.


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Confidence

86%

Doubts
  • The cause of the fire is currently suspected to be arson, but this has not been confirmed by a peer-reviewed investigation.
  • The exact number of structures destroyed may vary as the situation develops.

Sources

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

California’s Park Fire probably spawned freak fire tornadoes. Here’s how.

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Matthew Cappucci Friday, 26 July 2024 15:24
  • Unique Points
    • One or more suspected fire tornadoes occurred northeast of Chico, Calif., on Thursday
    • Doppler radar indicates formation of tornado-like vortexes within the massive smoke plume
    • First recorded instance of fire tornado was near Canberra, Australia on Jan. 18, 2003 with winds up to 160 mph
  • Accuracy
    • Park Fire in California grew to 164,000 acres in size within 36 hours
    • The Park Fire has burned 239,152 acres with 0% containment.
    • At least one or more suspected fire tornadoes occurred northeast of Chico, Calif., on Thursday
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No formal fallacies found. However, there are some inflammatory rhetorics and appeals to authority. The author uses inflammatory language when describing the fire's size and behavior ('swelled to 164,000 acres... nearly six times the area of Disney World... continues to exhibit extreme fire behavior') which can evoke strong emotions in readers. Also, there is an appeal to authority when referencing the National Weather Service office in Reno and their detection of rotation within a smoke plume ('meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Reno... issued a fire tornado warning').
    • ] One or more suspected fire tornadoes occurred northeast of Chico, Calif., late Thursday in association with the rapidly-growing Park Fire.
    • ] The blaze began Wednesday afternoon after a 42-year-old Chico man allegedly pushed a burning vehicle into a ditch.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Park Fire: 239,152 acres, 0% containment

Action News Now Kelli Saam, Friday, 26 July 2024 22:30
  • Unique Points
    • The person suspected of starting the fire was arrested early Thursday morning. The cause is arson.
    • At least 134 structures have been destroyed due to the Park Fire.
    • Evacuation Orders have been issued for several counties and zones including Butte County (BUT-CH-120, BUT-CNE-312, ...), Tehama County (TEH-500, TEH-694-B, ...), Shasta County (MAN-5000, MAN-5130, ...). Use the links provided to check your zone.
    • Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Plumas County due to the Gold Complex Fire and in Butte and Tehama counties due to the Park Fire.
    • An evacuation center has been set up at Los Molinos Veterans Hall in Tehama County and another one at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Red Bluff.
    • Rolling Hills Casino is accepting horses and cattle, providing housing and bedding to people who need it. Bring a water bucket and feed.
    • Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico, Bella Vista Elementary School at 22661 Old Alturas Rd., Bella Vista are evacuation centers.
    • People can pick up their mail at 550 Vallombrosa Avenue.
    • A media phone number has been established for Park Fire information: 530-282-5808.
  • Accuracy
    • The Park Fire has burned 239,152 acres with 0% containment.
    • The fire is now the largest in California.
    • It exceeds the size of the 2018 Camp Fire which burned 153,336 acres and killed 85 people in Paradise, Butte County.
    • Evacuation Orders have been issued for several counties and zones including Butte County (BUT-CH-120, BUT-CNE-312, ...), Tehama County (TEH-500, TEH-694-B, ...), Shasta County (MAN-5000, MAN-5130, ...).
    • The fires have together burned more than 181,000 acres, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, destroying homes and threatening critical infrastructure.
    • Route 32 at the junction with State Route 36 in Tehama County and at Bruce Road in Butte County, Cohasset Rd. at Rock Creek, Upper Park Rd. at Wildwood, Keefer & Hicks, Hicks & Oasis, Forks of the Butte Bridge (eastbound only), 99 & Meridian (eastbound only), Meridian/Butte Tehama Line and Cohasset/Eaton are closed.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

92%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Gov. Newsom declares state of emergency due to fires in Butte, Plumas, Tehama counties

KCRA 3 News Lindsay Weber Saturday, 27 July 2024 01:05
  • Unique Points
    • A suspect, Ronnie Stout, was arrested for starting the fire by pushing a burning car down an embankment
    • High temperatures, high fuel loads, and dry conditions have increased the threat of wildfires in the area
  • Accuracy
    • The Park Fire has burned over 178,000 acres and destroyed at least 134 structures
    • The Park Fire in California grew to 164,000 acres in size within 36 hours
    • At least 134 structures have been destroyed due to the Park Fire.
    • Ronnie Stout was arrested for starting the fire by pushing a burning vehicle into a ditch
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes use of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. There are no formal fallacies detected, but the language used is intended to evoke strong emotions and urgency.
    • WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS...
    • ...FIREFIGHTERS ARE RACING TO STOP THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE FLAMES...
    • THANKS FOR JOINING US AT FIVE TODAY...
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Park Fire swells to over 164,000 acres; thousands of residents under evacuation orders

USA Today Friday, 26 July 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Ronnie Stout, a local man from Chico, has been arrested and charged with arson for allegedly pushing his mother’s flaming vehicle into a gully, sparking the fire.
    • At least one charge of arson has been filed against Ronnie Stout. More charges could follow.
  • Accuracy
    • The Park Fire in northern California has grown to over 164,000 acres as of Friday morning.
    • 4,000 residents in unincorporated Butte County are under evacuation orders.
    • 1,600 personnel are assisting in efforts to quell the flames.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication