The Park Fire is currently the largest fire in California right now, with more than 350,000 acres burned as of Sunday. It has destroyed 134 structures including one wildfire camera tower that caught images of itself being consumed as the fire tore through the area.
The fire was started last Wednesday by what authorities allege was a man who pushed a flaming vehicle into a gully filled with dried brush, NBC News reports. Dry temperatures and strong winds propelled the fire, which doubled in size quickly before doubling again.
It is now one of the largest on record in the state. In different terms, the fire is about 563 square miles in size which is about half the size of Rhode Island and 12 times larger than San Francisco County, according to CBS News, making it one of the largest on record.
In a video posted to AlertCalifornia’s YouTube channel, the speed and ferocity of the fire can be seen as it approaches and then overtakes a wildfire observation tower.
“Time-lapse video of the rapid growth of the Park in Butte County, California on July 24, 2024 captured a UC San Diego ALERTCalifornia camera. As of 9 p.m. PT the Richardson Springs camera is offline and we do not know its status. Additional camera views are available on our website,” AlertCalifornia reports.
The video shows the fire approaching starting at 6:52 PM on July 24. Not even an hour and a half later, the fire can be seen approaching dangerously close to the tower. Operators move the camera’s angle down to show the approach of the fire and by 8:20 PM, the fire reaches the base of the camera observation tower. Just four minutes later, the tower is consumed and the feed cuts.
TRAFFIC ALERT: State Route 32 is CLOSED, at the junction with State Route 36 in Tehama County and at Bruce Road in Butte County, due to the #ParkFire. There is no estimated time on when the roadway will reopen.@CaltransHQ @CaltransDist3 pic.twitter.com/BK4RTIVq8A
— Caltrans District 2 (@CaltransD2) July 25, 2024
AlertCalifornia is a public safety program based at the University of California San Diego and includes a network of more than 1,080 cameras and sensor arrays that collects data and provides real-time information to help inform public safety. The organization says its cameras can see 60 to 70 miles on a clear day and more than 120 miles on a clear night.
“Advanced technology offers fresh insight into the cascading disasters associated with wildfires, such as post-fire debris flows, floods, and erosion. These data will lead to a greater understanding of natural disasters and their long-term pacts on air, water, and soil quality as well as human health in California,” the organization says.
Image credits: AlertCalifornia
