A devastating wildfire that destroyed buildings and forced 29,000 people to evacuate near Oroville in Butte County, California, appears to be slowing, officials said.
Firefighters battled the flames overnight, and as of Thursday morning the spread of the blaze, dubbed the Thompson Fire, remained relatively stable, with about 3,500 acres burned. The high winds that initially fanned the fire weakened overnight, and officials said they planned to repopulate some areas today that were previously under evacuation orders.
Parts of four zones were downgraded from evacuation orders to evacuation warnings Wednesday, said Rick Carhart, a Cal Fire spokesman, giving some residents confidence to return home. Some areas on the southern edge of the fire, including near the city of Oroville, were downgraded, and officials said they were currently evaluating more zones.
So far, four firefighters have been injured and four structures destroyed as a result of the fire, according to the Cal Fire incident report. The fire has also affected vehicles, based on news reports.
“Overall, it looks good,” said Kevin Colburn, a Cal Fire spokesman. “The fire is not doing what it did on the first day. It’s not spreading rapidly. It’s pretty much staying in the footprint that it’s in.”
Mr Colburn added that while officials felt “more confident” about the slowing spread of the fire and the ability of firefighters to contain it, there was still much work to be done and the situation could change. As of Thursday morning, the fire was 7 per cent contained.
Much of California is under an extreme heat warning. Temperatures in Oroville are expected to reach 110 degrees on Thursday, with even higher temperatures expected in the coming days. The rising heat, combined with low humidity, could contribute to increased fire activity, officials said. Two smaller fires ignited within a few miles of the fire near Oroville on Wednesday, but were quickly contained.
Butte County has been the scene of several devastating fires in recent years, including the 2018 Camp Fire, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, which killed 85 people and nearly destroyed the town of Paradise, about 20 miles north of Oroville.