Current Western Wildfires: Firefighters Combatting Three Major Blazes, Including Two in California

As the Park Fire in Northern California became the fifth largest wildfire in state history on Tuesday, firefighters were faced with a new challenge when another blaze erupted in Southern California and rapidly expanded into a major conflagration, leading to widespread evacuations, officials said.

Simultaneously, Colorado firefighters combated the Alexander Mountain Fire that started on Monday near the Roosevelt National Forest in Larimer County north of Boulder and quickly spread to over 1,800 acres as more than 20 different state agencies, including 12 local fire companies, rushed to combat the uncontrolled flames.

The Nixon Fire

California firefighters were dealing with 15 active blazes on Tuesday, including three that began on Monday. Among the largest new fires is the Nixon Fire that started around 12:30 p.m. local time Monday off Richard Nixon Boulevard in Riverside County, northeast of the town of Aguanga, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

By Tuesday morning, the Nixon Fire had expanded to 3,750 acres and was 0% contained, according to Cal Fire.

Several structures in the fire zone were damaged, but it was unclear if they were homes. More than 1,100 structures were being threatened by the fire, according to Cal Fire.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in the area.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

At least 255 fire personnel, including 44 fire engine crews, two helicopter crews and numerous firefighting air tankers, were combating the fire on Tuesday.

The Park Fire

As of Tuesday morning, the Park Fire, which was intentionally ignited on Wednesday and spread through Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties in Northern California, had expanded to 385,065 acres — surpassing the 2020 Creek Fire, which swept through Central California’s Sierra National Forest, to become the fifth largest wildfire in state history, officials said.