The call came in just before 3 p.m. on July 24. A fire had started in a park in Chico, California. Firefighters were there within minutes. The fire had already crossed a road and was burning trees in its path.  

Over the next few hours, the fire exploded in size. By 3 a.m., it had burned an area the size of about 34,000 football fields.

“I’ve never seen a fire grow so fast in my career,” says Chief Garrett Sjolund. He has worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, for more than 25 years.

Firefighters arrived from across the state. More than 6,000 people worked to contain the blaze, which was called the Park Fire. It would become the fourth largest wildfire in California state history. 

It wasn’t the only big blaze in California, or the United States, this year. In late February, Texas had its biggest wildfire on record. That fire spread into Oklahoma. By late August, fires had already burned more land in Oregon than in any previous year.

The call came in just before 3 p.m. It was July 24. A fire had started in a park in Chico, California. Firefighters were there within minutes. The fire had already spread across a road. It was burning trees in its path.

Over the next few hours, the fire exploded in size. By 3 a.m., it had burned through a huge area. The affected area was about the size of 34,000 football fields.

“I’ve never seen a fire grow so fast in my career,” says Garrett Sjolund. He has been a firefighter for more than 25 years. He’s a fire chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Firefighters arrived at the park from across the state. More than 6,000 people worked to contain the blaze. It was called the Park Fire. It became the fourth largest wildfire in California’s history. 

The Park Fire wasn’t the only big blaze in the country this year. In late February, Texas had its biggest wildfire on record. That fire spread into Oklahoma. By late August, fires had already burned more land in Oregon than in any previous year.

It takes several factors to create a wildfire. Dry, hot weather is often one of them. In July, much of the western U.S. suffered through a heat wave. On the day the Park Fire began, the temperature in Chico soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The extreme heat, along with a lack of moisture in the air, caused grasses and trees to dry out. Dead vegetation is perfect fuel for wildfires because it burns easily.

Then all it takes is a spark. Fires can start naturally from lightning. But about 90 percent of wildfires are started by people. The Park Fire began when someone pushed a burning car into a ditch. (He was arrested.) Strong winds led the blaze to spread out of control.  

By the next morning, the fire was so bad that firefighters couldn’t safely battle it directly.

“When you’ve got a big wall of fire coming at you, there’s nothing a couple of fire engines are going to do to stop it,” says Captain Dan Collins of Cal Fire. 

As the fast-moving flames threatened nearby towns, firefighters shifted their focus to protecting people and homes. The Park Fire destroyed about 700 houses and other structures. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Several factors create a wildfire. One of them is dry, hot weather. In July, there was a heat wave in much of the western part of the country. When the Park Fire began, the temperature in Chico was above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The extreme heat caused grasses and trees to dry out. Dead vegetation burns easily. That makes it the perfect fuel for wildfires.

Then all it takes is a spark. Fires can start naturally from lightning. But about 90 percent of wildfires are started by people. The Park Fire began when someone pushed a burning car into a ditch. (He was arrested.) Strong winds caused the fire to spread out of control.  

By the next morning, the firefighters could no longer safely battle the fire directly. It was too massive. 

“When you’ve got a big wall of fire coming at you, there’s nothing a couple of fire engines are going to do to stop it,” says Dan Collins. He’s a fire captain with Cal Fire. 

The fast-moving flames threatened nearby towns. Firefighters then shifted their focus to protecting people and homes. The Park Fire destroyed about 700 houses and other structures. Luckily, no one was hurt.