Thompson Fire
2024 wildfire in Northern California, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
| Thompson Fire | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2024 California wildfires | |
The Thompson Fire as seen from Lake Oroville on July 2, 2024. | |
| Date(s) | July 2, 2024 – July 8, 2024 |
| Location | Butte County, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39.53793°N 121.5467°W |
| Statistics[1] | |
| Perimeter | 100% contained |
| Burned area | 3,789 acres (1,533 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Non-fatal injuries | 4 |
| Evacuated | 29,000[2] |
| Structures destroyed | 26 (8 damaged) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Arson |
| Map | |
 Perimeter of the Thompson Fire (map data) | |
  Location of Thompson Fire in California | |
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 had 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]
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]
Growth and containment status
| Date | Total area burned | Personnel | Containment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2[13] | 2,135 acres (864 ha) | 514 personnel | 0%
| ||
| Jul 3[14] | 3,002 acres (1,215 ha) | 1,438 personnel | 0%
| ||
| Jul 4[15] | 3,789 acres (1,533 ha) | 2,219 personnel | 29%
| ||
| Jul 5[16] | 3,789 acres (1,533 ha) | 1,930 personnel | 55%
| ||
| Jul 6[17] | 3,789 acres (1,533 ha) | 1,728 personnel | 79%
| ||
| Jul 7[18] | 3,789 acres (1,533 ha) | 1,185 personnel | 94%
| ||
| Jul 8[19] | 3,789 acres (1,533 ha) | 6 personnel | 100%
|