As of 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, the Park Fire is 12% contained after burning 360,341 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The fire expanded rapidly late Friday into Saturday morning due to steep terrain and high winds, advancing at a rate of four to five thousand acres per hour.

This has led to evacuations in multiple Northstate counties.

An initial aerial assessment indicated that over 100 structures were impacted, but ground inspections confirmed 66 structures destroyed and 5 damaged, with 4,200 still threatened.

No injuries or fatalities have been reported. Triple-digit temperatures and gusty winds have fueled the fire’s rapid spread.

The blaze began in Upper Bidwell Park, northeast of Chico, around 3 p.m. on July 24, KCRC ABC 7 News has reported.

A man was arrested on Friday in connection to starting the fire, allegedly pushing a burning car into a gully at Alligator Hole, where the fire ignited.

Cal Fire arson investigators and the Butte County District Attorney’s Office are handling the case.

Written by B.C. Begley