Crews battle wildfires across the US West and fight to hold containment lines

FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires across the western United States and Canada put millions of people under air quality alerts on Sunday as thousands of firefighters battled the flames, including the largest wildfire in California this year.

The so-called Park Fire had scorched an area greater than the size of Los Angeles as of Sunday, darkening the sky with smoke and contributing poor air quality to a large swath of the northwestern U.S. and western Canada. The blaze spanned more than 562 square miles (1,455 square kilometers) of inland Northern California.

Firefighters were helped by cooler temperatures and more humidity on Saturday and made some progress, increasing containment from zero to 12%. The fire has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Camp Fire that tore through the nearby community of Paradise, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.

Paradise and several other Butte County communities were under an evacuation warning Sunday. However, Cal Fire operations section chief Jeremy Pierce had some good news for the area, saying around midday that the Park Fire's southernmost front, which is closest to Paradise, was “looking really good,” with crews focusing on extinguishing any remaining hot spots and removing other hazards over the next three days. He also said they don't expect it to move farther into Chico, a city of about 100,000 people just west of Paradise.

First responders initially focused on saving lives and property endangered by the Park Fire, but that has since shifted to confronting the blaze head-on, Jay Tracy, a spokesperson at the Park Fire headquarters, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday.

Nearly 4,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, aided by numerous helicopters and air tankers, and Tracy said reinforcements would give much-needed rest to local firefighters, some of whom have been working nonstop since the fire started Wednesday.

“This fire is surprising a lot of people with its explosive growth,” he said. “It is kind of unparalleled.”

In places where the flames had died down by Sunday, signs of the devastation were clear. Mailboxes and vehicles were covered with pink fire retardant dropped by aircraft in Cohasset. At other locations in the community the husks of a washer and dryer set were surrounded by burned debris from a home, and a charred motorcycle was still propped upright, balancing on rims after its tires apparently melted away.

Another part of the town was relatively unscathed, the Butte County Fire Chief said.

“We have an unburned island in that community that we are continuing to patrol and ensure that there are no hot spots in it,” Sjolund said.

Managing evacuation orders can be complex. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said authorities were about to downgrade the evacuation order to a warning for Forest Ranch when they learned a number of hot spots were reported nearby.

“That illustrates how rapidly things can change — we were all set to be able to reduce that order to get people back in there,” Honea said.

In Southern California, roughly 2,000 people had been ordered to evacuate because of a fire sweeping through the Sequoia National Forest. The wind-driven fire was moving fast, Kern County Fire Department public information officer Andrew Freeborn said, eating up more than 60 square miles (155.4 square kilometers) in four days.

The National Weather Service said a “red flag” warning was in effect for the region on Sunday, meaning dry fuels and stronger winds were increasing the fire danger.

The fire was exhibiting extreme fire conditions, fed by lots of dead plants that dried up after several years of rainfall, Freeborn said. The historic mining town of Havilah and several other communities have been “heavily impacted” by the fires, he said, but it was still too soon for damage assessment crews to count the number of burned homes.

So far, no fatalities have been reported in the Park and Borel fires. Some people in the region were choosing to ignore or disregard evacuation orders, increasing the danger for everyone, Freeborn said.

“When people are trying to ignore the orders and later call for rescue, that takes firefighters away from the task of fighting the fires," he said. "This fire is moving at a pace and with such intensity that individuals should not be thinking they can wait until the last minute. They need to get out of the way.”

Although the area expects cooler-than-average temperatures through the middle of this week, that doesn't mean "that fires that are existing will go away,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

The Park Fire has destroyed at least 66 structures and damaged five others, Tracy said. Authorities initially believed 134 structures had been lost, based on drone footage, but they lowered the number after teams assessed the damage in-person.

“Unfortunately, that number will probably go up," Tracy said. "Each day that number has potential to grow — our teams obviously don’t do damage inspections when there is active fire in an area.”

Jerry White, 72, left his Magalia home when authorities issues an evacuation warning, a step below an evacuation order. Years earlier White sustained third-degree burns when a barbecue caused his coat to catch fire and he said the thought of that pain made him take the warning seriously.

“I don't want to catch fire again. It's one of the worst pains you can endure," White said. “I wanted to get out of dodge. Burns are bad.”

White's home is safe from the flames so far and he plans to keep living in the fire-prone mountain community, he said.

“I've been up here 50 years," White said. "The beach is more dangerous than here ... it was packed by sharks before, back when I used to surf. I'll take a fire over a shark any day!"

The Park Fire started Wednesday, when authorities say a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then fled. A man accused of setting the fire was arrested Thursday and is due in court Monday.

The Park Fire was one of more than 100 blazes burning in the U.S. on Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some were sparked by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the western U.S. endures blistering heat and bone-dry conditions.

Despite the improved fire weather in Northern California, conditions remained ripe for even more blazes to ignite, with the National Weather Service warning of “red flag” conditions on Sunday across wide swaths of Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, in addition to parts of California.

Fires were also burning across eastern Oregon and eastern Idaho, where officials were assessing damage from a group of blazes referred to as the Gwen Fire, which was estimated at 43 square miles (111 square kilometers) as of Sunday.

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. AP reporters around the U.S. who contributed include Eugene Garcia, David Sharp, Becky Bohrer, John Antczak, Rio Yamat, David Sharp, Holly Ramer, Sarah Brumfield, Claire Rush, Terry Chea, Scott Sonner, Martha Bellisle and Amy Hanson.

A plan drops fire retardant on the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Fire crews monitor a backburn, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the Butte Meadows area in Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A firefighter monitors a burn operation on Highway 32 to combat the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Fire crews battle the Park Fire along Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A Beckwourth Hot Shot monitors a burn operation along Highway 32 to help fight the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Fire crews walk through the smoke along Highway 32 as they battle the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A firefighter monitors the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Grant Douglas pauses to drink water while evacuating as the Park Fire jumps Highway 36 near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames consume a vehicle as the Park Fire jburns in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters with the United States Forest Service Lassen National Forest prepare a hoselay on a hillside during the Park fire near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Firefighter Ismael Pugh chugs water during a briefing while battling the Park Fire in Tehama County, Calif., on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Volunteer firefighter Craig Klieb sprays water around his house as the Park Fire burns nearby in Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A property damaged by wildfire is seen in the aftermath of the Park Fire, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the Cohasset community of Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A property damaged by wildfire is seen in the aftermath of the Park Fire, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the Cohasset community of Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A charred motorcycle is seen in aftermath of the Park Fire, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the Cohasset community of Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A vehicle is doused with retardant in the aftermath of the Park Fire, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the Cohasset community of Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A vehicle and mailboxes are doused with retardant in the aftermath of the Park Fire, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in the Cohasset community of Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

The Park Fire burns along Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Fire crews battle the Park Fire as it burns along Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A dozer cuts fire breaks to help control the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A plane drops fire retardant on the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

The Park Fire burns along Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

The Park Fire burns along Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., Sunday, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

CalFire firefighter David Metters lights a burn operation to mitigate the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

CTwo U.S. Forest Service firefighters confer on the Park Fire as smoke fills the air near Paynes Creek (Tehama County) on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

The sun sets over the remains of a house that was destroyed in the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A lawn ornament stands in front of a burned car that was destroyed in the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Joseph Phillips stands where the front door of his home once stood before the Gwen Fire tore through the area and destroyed the home, Saturday, July 27, 2024, off of Gifford Reubens Road, Idaho. (August Frank/Lewiston Tribune via AP)

A charred vehicle rests below a hill in Paynes Creek after the Park Fire burned through the community in Tehama County, Calif., on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames leap above fire vehicles as the Park Fire jumps Highway 36 near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters monitor the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the overview of the Park Fire in Chico, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

A helicopter drops water on the Park Fire burning near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A firefighter sprays water on the Park Fire burning near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Firefighter Michael Benson, center, rubs his face during a briefing while battling the Park Fire in Tehama County, Calif., on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Rail posts burn along Highway 36 as the Park Fire spreads near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters carry hose near a home to fight the Park Fire near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Flames consume a vehicle as the Park Fire jburns in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames consume structures as the Park Fire burns in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A column of smoke from the Park Fire rises over Highway 32 near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Smoke rises above the roadway as the Park Fire jumps Highway 36 near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter sprays water on the Park Fire burning near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Grant Douglas pauses while evacuating as the Park Fire jumps Highway 36 near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Thousands battle Western wildfires as smoke puts millions under air quality alerts

Thousands battle Western wildfires as smoke puts millions under air quality alerts

Damage is seen after a wildfire in Jasper, Alberta, Friday July 26, 2024. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two people died in a missile attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, local officials said, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged drone and missile attacks.

The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles Russia launched overnight.

Oleh Kiper, Odesa's regional governor, said the two who died in the suburbs of Odesa on Saturday night were a married couple, and that another person was wounded in the attack.

At least 41 people were wounded Sunday afternoon when a Russian aerial bomb struck a multistory residential building in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said, adding that the guided bomb hit the 10th floor of the building, with the fire spreading across four stories. Twelve other buildings were also damaged, he said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday over western and southwestern regions, with no damage caused by the falling debris. It also said another Ukrainian drone was shot down Sunday morning over the western Ryazan region.

While Ukraine and Russia regularly launch overnight drone raids on each other’s territory, Ukrainian officials generally don't confirm or deny attacks within Russia’s borders.

The latest attacks came after Ukraine made a new call Saturday on the West to allow it to use the long-range missiles they have provided to strike targets deep inside Russia, as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

So far, the U.S. has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.

Kyiv officials argue the weapons are vital to weaken Russia’s ability to strike Ukraine and force it to move its strike capabilities further from the border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media on Sunday to again appeal for a shift in the West's policy on the use of long-range weapons, noting that Russia had launched “around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine” this week.

“Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror — air defense, long-range capabilities, support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war," Zelenskyy posted on X.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Emergency services and local residents move a damaged car after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Firefighters tackle a blaze after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

An elderly woman is assisted after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

An elderly man is assisted after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

A wounded person is carried away after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Flames rise and debris is scattered on the ground after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Flames rise after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)