The fire department is still battling what is now the sixth largest forest fire in California's history. Investigators believe the fire was arson. A man is said to have pushed a burning car down a slope.
The situation in California remains tense: The so-called “Park Fire” now covers an area of 1,500 square kilometers, according to the Cal Fire authority. This makes it the sixth largest fire in California's history. The fifth largest forest fire destroyed large areas in the Sierra Nevada region in 2020.
“This fire is extremely volatile and unpredictable,” Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said at a news conference. “We've seen many places that we thought were safe to go back to go up in flames again.”
Suspect rejects accusation
A suspect was arrested last week. Yesterday he denied the charge of arson in court. However, eyewitnesses strongly incriminate him. They saw the 42-year-old pushing his burning car down a slope. Investigators assume that this is how the fire started.
The man, who is now in custody, said his vehicle accidentally caught fire on the side of the road and he ran away. Since he has a previous conviction for various crimes, he faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
More than 90 forest fires in the USA
Meanwhile, the fight against the fire continues. Around 4,900 emergency personnel are on site. Thousands of people are affected by evacuation measures. So far, there have been no deaths.
There are currently more than 90 large forest fires active in the United States, twelve of them in California. According to experts, the climate crisis is also the cause of the extreme weather conditions, which in turn lead to more frequent and more severe forest fires.
