A firefighter sprays water on a burning home in Chico, California, on July 25.

Shutterstock.com (background); Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images (Chico)

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Facing the Flames

This summer, firefighters in California battled one of the biggest blazes in state history.

September 30, 2024
By the editors of Scholastic News

As You Read, Think About: What are some of the challenges of fighting wildfires?

The call came in just before 3 p.m. on July 24. A fire had started in a park in Chico, California. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes. By then, the fire had crossed a road and was quickly moving uphill through thick brush and trees. 

Over the next several 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’s worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, for more than 25 years.

Firefighters soon arrived from nearby communities and across the state. The wildfire, called the Park Fire, became the fourth largest in California state history. Early on, more than 6,000 men and women were working to contain the blaze. A month later, the fire was mostly under control, though it was still burning. 

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

This time of year is often the peak of fire season. That means fire crews can expect to be especially busy for weeks.

The call came in just before 3 p.m. on July 24. A fire had started in a park in Chico, California. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes. By then, the fire had crossed a road. It was quickly moving uphill through thick brush and trees.  

Over the next several 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 Garrett Sjolund. He’s 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 soon arrived at the park from nearby communities and across the state. The wildfire was called the Park Fire. It became the fourth largest in California state history. Early on, more than 6,000 men and women were working to contain the blaze. A month later, the fire was still burning. But it was mostly under control. 

The Park Fire wasn’t the only big blaze in 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 scorched more land in Oregon than in any previous year.

This time of year is often the peak of fire season. That means fire crews can expect to be especially busy for weeks.  

Burning Up

It takes several ingredients to create a wildfire. Dry, hot weather is often one of them. Much of the western U.S. suffered through a heat wave in July. 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 tall grasses and trees to dry out. Dead vegetation is the 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 soon arrested.) Then strong winds helped the blaze quickly spread out of control. 

By the next morning, the flames were so intense that firefighters couldn’t safely battle them 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,” explains Captain Dan Collins of Cal Fire. 

As the fast-moving flames threatened nearby towns, firefighters shifted their focus to protecting homes and helping people evacuate. As Scholastic News went to press, the fire had destroyed about 600 homes and other structures. Fortunately, no one had been injured.

It takes several ingredients to create a wildfire. Dry, hot weather is often one of them. Much of the western U.S. suffered through a heat wave in July.  When the Park Fire began, the temperature in Chico was above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It wasn’t just extremely hot. There was also a lack of moisture in the air. As a result, tall grasses and trees had dried 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 soon arrested.) Then strong winds helped the blaze quickly spread. Soon it was out of control.  

By the next morning, the flames were so intense that firefighters couldn’t safely battle them 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,” explains Dan Collins. He’s a fire captain with Cal Fire. 

The fast-moving flames threatened nearby towns. Firefighters shifted their focus to protecting homes and helping people evacuate. As Scholastic News went to press, the fire had destroyed about 600 homes and other structures. Fortunately, no one had been injured.

Battling Blazes

During the first few days of the Park Fire, firefighters didn’t get much time to rest.

“There were folks working 48 hours straight,” says Collins. “They were taking breaks and eating when they could, but they weren’t sleeping.”

Like many wildfires, this one mostly burned through remote areas with few roads. To complicate matters, much of the landscape was steep and rocky. That meant firefighters often had to hike uphill in extreme heat to reach the fire’s edge. And they did it while wearing about 15 pounds of protective gear and carrying hoses or other equipment. 

“It’s all about staying positive, putting your head down, and getting the job done,” Collins says.

During the first few days of the Park Fire, firefighters didn’t get much time to rest.

“There were folks working 48 hours straight,” says Collins. “They were taking breaks and eating when they could, but they weren’t sleeping.”

Like many wildfires, this one mostly burned through remote areas with few roads. Much of the landscape was steep and rocky. That made the firefighters’ job more challenging. They often had to hike uphill in extreme heat to reach the fire’s edge. They were wearing about 15 pounds of protective gear. They were also carrying hoses or other equipment. 

“It’s all about staying positive, putting your head down, and getting the job done,” Collins says.

How to Fight a Wildfire

Nic Coury/AP Images

Battling a wildfire is different from fighting a fire in a home or an office building. Wildfires often start in areas of the forest that are hard to reach. Putting out a wildfire requires special equipment and many teams working together.

  • Planes or helicopters drop water or chemicals to slow the spread of a blaze (above). 
  • Fire engine teams travel to the edges of a fire. They attack the flames with water from hoses.
  • Bulldozer teams clear away vegetation, such as bushes and dead trees, leaving just the bare earth. This starves the fire and can stop it from spreading.
  • Ground crews dig trenches (below). They also use chain saws, rakes, and other tools to clear vegetation that might fuel a fire. These firefighters often go into areas that big trucks can’t get to.

Battling a wildfire is different from fighting a fire in a home or an office building. Wildfires often start in areas of the forest that are hard to reach. Putting out a wildfire requires special equipment and many teams working together.

  • Planes or helicopters drop water or chemicals to slow the spread of a blaze (above). 
  • Fire engine teams travel to the edges of a fire. They attack the flames with water from hoses.
  • Bulldozer teams clear away vegetation, such as bushes and dead trees, leaving just the bare earth. This starves the fire and can stop it from spreading.
  • Ground crews dig trenches (below). They also use chain saws, rakes, and other tools to clear vegetation that might fuel a fire. These firefighters often go into areas that big trucks can’t get to.

David McNew/Getty Images

1. What are some reasons the Park Fire was hard to contain?

2. Based on the article, what are two qualities a person should have to work on a wildfire crew? Explain.

3. Based on the sidebar, “How to Fight a Wildfire,” describe three tools firefighters use to battle wildfires.

1. What are some reasons the Park Fire was hard to contain?

2. Based on the article, what are two qualities a person should have to work on a wildfire crew? Explain.

3. Based on the sidebar, “How to Fight a Wildfire,” describe three tools firefighters use to battle wildfires.

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