U.S. wildfire triggers evacuation and health alerts

As firefighters continue battling the largest active wildfire in the U.S. in Northern California, a new blaze ignited in Northern Colorado on Monday, leading to evacuations and unhealthy air quality alerts.

The Park Fire in Northern California has become the state’s largest wildfire this year and the sixth-largest in its history, burning 373,357 acres across four counties. As of Tuesday morning, the fire was 12% contained. It has destroyed 109 structures, damaged five others, and threatened over 4,200 more. Authorities suspect the fire was deliberately set near Chico, and a 42-year-old resident has been arrested for felony arson.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the Park Fire and the Gold Complex fires, with the latter burning 3,007 acres and over 98% contained as of Tuesday. The Park Fire now surpasses the Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon, which has burned 293,390 acres, as the largest fire in the nation. The firefighting effort involves over 4,876 personnel, 33 helicopters, and 434 fire engines.

In Northern Colorado, the Alexander Mountain Fire near Roosevelt National Park erupted on Monday, quickly growing to 864 acres by the afternoon. This has led to the evacuation of over 2,600 people, with at least 1,500 receiving voluntary evacuation notices, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.

California is also contending with the Borel Fire in Kern County, which began on July 24 and has burned 53,010 acres with no containment as of Monday. The fire’s rapid spread through dry vegetation and adverse weather conditions has impacted several communities.

The widespread wildfires are threatening lives and property while severely affecting air quality across the Western U.S. Smoke from these fires has spread to several states, including Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow data indicates unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, with warnings from the National Weather Service that pollution may persist and worsen.