A destructive wildfire that engulfed buildings and forced 29,000 people to evacuate the area near Oroville in Butte County, California, slowed enough Thursday that most residents were allowed to return home, authorities said.
Firefighters battled the flames throughout the night, and as of Thursday morning, the spread of the fire, dubbed the Thompson Fire, remained relatively steady, with about 3,700 acres burned. The high winds that initially fueled the fire weakened overnight.
On Thursday afternoon, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office lifted evacuation orders and warnings for more than 20 areas, and downgraded evacuation orders to warnings for about 20 others, allowing more than 26,000 residents who had been displaced by the fire to return. About 2,780 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders.
So far, four firefighters have been injured and four buildings have been destroyed due to the fire, according to Cal Fire’s incident report. The fire also destroyed vehicles, according to media reports.
“Overall, it’s looking pretty good,” said Kevin Colburn, a Cal Fire spokesman. “The fire is not doing what it was doing the first day. It’s not burning at a rapid rate of spread. It’s staying pretty much in the area that it’s in.”
Colburn added that while officials were “more confident” that the fire was slowing down and firefighters were able to contain it, there was still more to do and the situation could change. As of Thursday morning, the fire was seven per cent contained.
Some people who returned to the area Thursday remained concerned. Angel Williams, assistant director of Foothill Boarding and Grooming in Oroville, spent the morning returning a group of dogs to kennels after they were evacuated Tuesday.
The surrounding hills were charred and a hot, smoky breeze blew through the complex. The facility was not damaged, but Williams was working to reduce the number of animals she cared for, sending dogs to the owners’ emergency contacts in case the situation changed.
“We’re still on alert,” Williams said, noting that the fire was still raging a few miles away. “I’ve had a massive headache all day because I’m so worried.”
Much of California is experiencing a brutal heat wave that isn’t expected to ease until next week. Temperatures in Oroville are expected to hit 43 degrees on Thursday, with even higher temperatures expected in the coming days. The rising temperatures, combined with low humidity, could contribute to increased fire activity, authorities said. Two smaller fires broke out a few miles from the Oroville blaze on Wednesday, but they were quickly extinguished.
Butte County has been the scene of several destructive wildfires in recent years, including the 2018 Camp Fire, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. It killed 85 people and nearly destroyed the town of Paradise, about 20 miles north of Oroville.
