Firefighters and support crews from throughout the state have been attacking the blaze nonstop, with heavy aerial support to knock the fire down and prevent it from taking communities. Photo courtesy of CAL FIRE

CALFORNIA REGION (MPG) - With weather conditions in the early portion of the week trending toward warmer days with low humidity, the Park Fire that is burning in Butte, Tehama, Shasta and Plumas counties has gained momentum.

CAL FIRE has expected increases in fire activity, warning the public that they may see more smoke in the skies over the course of the week.

On Monday, a large pyrocumulus cloud from increases in Park Fire activity could be seen at the north end of the valley as the fire continued to work its way into territory that presents challenges to firefighters.

The Aug. 5 CAL FIRE Park Fire Incident report reported that the fire had burned 406,579 acres but grew to 414,042 acres overnight, as of Tuesday.

CAL FIRE said the blaze has made it into the Mill Creek and Antelope Creek drainages and has become established there “where it will continue to build heat and be resistant to control.”

“Critically low fuel moistures, steep canyons, long drive times and daily spot fires have caused difficulty in suppressing the fire’s spread,” reported CAL FIRE in Tuesday’s 10:49 a.m. incident report. “The fire is expected to continue to be hot and dry throughout the day, with primary growth aligning with the topography to the north and east.”

With the fire growth, more areas have been put under mandatory evacuation orders, such as the east zone of Mill Creek to the county line, while others are being downgraded to warnings. Multiple road closures still apply, including Highway 32 at Humboldt Road, Highway 36 above the Sky Ranch, and Lanes Valley Road in Butte County.

CAL FIRE has confirmed that 636 structures have been destroyed and 49 damaged, with 98,048 acres burning in the Lassen National Forest, as of Tuesday. Butte County has seen a total of 52,937 acres burned with 361,104 acres taken by the fire in Tehama County.

The Park Fire’s growth in size now puts it at the fourth largest wildfire in the state of California, surpassing the SCU Lightning Complex, and it is quickly closing in on the Mendocino Complex that sits at 459,123 acres.

The Park Fire is 34% contained as of Tuesday afternoon.