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Thompson Fire
2024 wildfire in Northern California, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Thompson Fire was a fast-moving wildfire burning near the community of Oroville in Butte County, California, during the 2024 California wildfire season.[3]
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Background
The Thompson Fire sparked amidst a heat wave described as "exceptionally dangerous and lethal" by the National Weather Service.[4] The fire was allegedly caused by arson, with a man testing fireworks by throwing one out of the window. An arrest was made on August 22.[5] The heat wave has caused vegetation to dry out, increasing wildfire risk in the area.[3]
The community of Oroville has been affected by several major wildfires, including the Camp Fire in 2018 and the Bear Fire in 2020.[6]
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Fire
The fire sparked at 10:51 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, near Cherokee Road and Thompson Flat Cemetery Road.[7] Within six hours, the fire grew from 15 acres (6.1 ha) to over 2,100 acres (850 ha), causing Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, declared a state of emergency in Butte County.[8][9] 13 thousand residents of Oroville were evacuated from the area.[9]
On Wednesday, the fire had scorched more than 3,000 acres (1,200 ha).[10] It was originally reported that eight firefighters were injured, three in a car crash and four were heat-related.[11] However, that number had dropped to four on Thursday.[2] Four structures were also destroyed.[12]
By Thursday, it was reported that growth of the fire had slowed, partly due to winds that were fueling the fire dying down.[2]
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Growth and containment status
References
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