California fire rapidly reaches state's top 10 biggest ever

Chico, United States: A fire raging out of control in northern California has rapidly become among the biggest ever in the western US state, authoriti...

Chico, United States: A fire raging out of control in northern California has rapidly become among the biggest ever in the western US state, authorities said Saturday.

The so-called Park Fire burned more than 350,000 acres (142,000 hectares) as of Saturday evening, making it the seventh-largest ever recorded in California history, the state agency Cal Fire said.

The fire, which prompted orders for more than 4,000 people to flee their homes, was burning through a largely rural, mountainous area near the city of Chico, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of state capital Sacramento.

"Extreme fire conditions continue to challenge firefighters," Cal Fire said in a post on X.