Park Fire 34 percent contained; has blackened more than 400,000 acres

According to an update from CalFire at 6:01 a.m. this morning, Monday, Aug. 5, the Park Fire showed minimum growth in the Mill Creek area. With drier temperatures today, fire behavior could increase and residents of the Mineral and Mill Creek areas could see an increase in smoke production as conditions change.

Status Update
Situation Summary
Temperatures warmed up and the air cleared over the Park Fire area leading to more fire activity. Single and group tree torching, short range spotting, and short runs persisted throughout Sunday afternoon.

Temperatures will remain warm at night over the next several nights. Early into the coming week the region will experience very warm and dry conditions. Daytime highs will reach the lower 100s and the minimum relative humidity will range from 10 to 20 percent.

Warm overnight temperatures with below-average humidity will allow heavy fuels to burn actively. Lighter and live fuels may not burn as readily overnight but are expected to rebound quickly during the day.

Firefighters continue building contingency lines in Butte, Shasta and Tehama counties.

Lassen National Forest
The Park Fire has burned 401,508 acres total – 95,691 on the Lassen – and is 31 percent contained.

Fire in the Mill Creek drainage saw minimal growth today despite hotter, drier conditions as air resources worked to moderate fire activity with repeated water drops throughout the day.

With several days of previously favorable weather, firefighters have been able to build and widen lines using a mix of roads, dozerlines and handlines heading south from Highway 36, across the front of the fire and tied in around McCarthy Creek.

They now are turning the corner and connecting to Tamarack Road which parallels the north rim of Mill Creek. On the southern rim, crews are using heavy equipment to improve Forest roads to prevent the fire from advancing south and east. These lines also are being plumbed with hose lays.

As hot and dry conditions impacted the fire area this afternoon the fire activity increased. The weather is expected to remain dry through the evening. This continued weather pattern brings an expected increase in fire behavior and residents of the Mineral and Mill Creek areas could see an increase in smoke production as conditions change.

The current acreage is 401,508 total
Butte County: 52,937 acres.
Tehama County: 348,571 acres.
Damage Inspection Teams are at 100 percent completion of their assessments.
Between both counties, there are 640 destroyed structures and 52 damaged structures. The total number destroyed and damaged includes infrastructure.

Butte County
No damage: 882 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures).
Damaged: 47 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures).
Destroyed: 428 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures).

Tehama County
No damage: 277 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures).
Damaged: 5 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures).
Destroyed: 212 (Residential, Comm, Minor, other structures).