California wildfire explodes, becomes largest in US
Firefighters watch as flames and smoke move through a valley in the Forest Ranch area of Butte County as the Park Fire continues to burn near Chico, California.
Photo: AFP / Josh Edelson
By Joseph Ax, Reuters
Thousands of firefighters were battling a rapidly growing wildfire in northern California on Saturday after the blaze more than doubled in size in a 24-hour span.
The Park Fire had burned more than 350,000 acres (141,640ha) about 144km north of the state capital city of Sacramento as of Saturday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Cooler temperatures and more humid air were expected in the region, potentially helping efforts to slow the spread of the fire, which was still 0 percent contained. The fire has destroyed 134 str...