Officials charge man for starting Park Fire in California that has burned more than 45,000 acres

CHICO, Calif. -- A Northern California wildland fire that exploded overnight into the state's largest blaze this wildfire season, destroying structures and prompting thousands of evacuations, was allegedly started by a man who pushed a burning car into a gully, authorities said Thursday.

The 48-year-old arson suspect charged with starting the Park Fire in Butte County near the city of Chico was arrested Thursday morning and jailed without bail, said Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey. The suspect's name was not immediately released.

The suspect was allegedly spotted just before 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, pushing a car that was on fire down a gully called "Alligator Hole" in Bidwell Park, near Chico, Ramsey said.

"The car went down an embankment approximately 60 feet and burned completely, spreading flames that caused the Park Fire," Ramsey said in a statement.

A man who was later identified as the suspect was seen calmly leaving the area by blending in with other park visitors fleeing the rapidly evolving fire, Ramsey said.

The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned next week, Ramsey said.

The Park Fire in Butte County, California, and the Durkee Fire in Oregon, the largest fire burning in the nation, continued filling West Coast skies Thursday with smoke as gusty winds and treacherous terrain were dealing challenges to firefighters battling both blazes, officials said.

Park Fire is becomes largest 2024 wildfire in the state

The Park Fire started around 3 p.m. Wednesday northeast of the city of Chico in Bidwell Park and by Thursday had burned 45,550 acres, destroyed an undetermined number of structures and caused the Butte County Sheriff's Department to order evacuations for rural foothill communities in the area, including nearly the entire town of Cohasset, which has a population of about 400.

More than 1,100 firefighters were fighting the flames Thursday morning, using helicopters and cutting fire lines with bulldozers in a desperate attempt to prevent the fire from spreading to homes in the densely populated areas of north Chico, authorities said.

The Park Fire was just 3% contained Thursday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

"The fire is well established. Fire personnel are currently focusing on evacuations and structure defense while concurrently building direct containment lines utilizing bulldozers, fire crews and fire engines," Cal Fire said in an updated statement Thursday morning. "More resources have been ordered and are inbound from various areas throughout Northern California."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

At least 3,800 people were under evacuation orders in Butte and Tehama counties, officials said.

The Park Fire rapidly grew into the state's largest conflagration this wildfire season, surpassing the Lake Fire near Santa Barbara in Southern California that started on July 5. As of Thursday morning, the Lake Fire had burned 38,664 and was 90% contained, according to Cal Fire. The blaze destroyed four structures and left at least six firefighters injured, Cal Fire reported.

The Butte County blaze was one of 64 new fires that erupted in California Wednesday, according to Cal Fire.

Rick Carhart, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, told ABC News Thursday that hot temperatures and steep, rugged terrain in the burning area are making things difficult for firefighters.

Carhart -- who described the fire activity as "dynamic" -- said the temperature in the area this week has been 100 to 110 degrees.

Officials said that in the first 12 hours of the fire, flames were burning 4,000 acres per hour.

"It's very, very hot. It's bone dry and pretty much every spark that hits the ground is going to start a fire," Carhart said.

He said the area where the fire is most active hasn't burned in 20 years, providing an abundance of dry vegetation that is feeding the blaze.

Cal Fire officials said the number of acres burned so far in this wildfire season is 15 times more than at this time in 2023. There have been nearly 800 more fires this year compared to last, including 54 that resulted in arson arrests, according to Cal Fire.