California city cancels Fourth of July fireworks show as firefighters battle flames

A Northern California community has canceled its annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration because about 26,000 residents were forced to flee their homes due to a spreading wildfire.

The Thompson Fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Sacramento, near the Butte County town of Oroville.

It sent up a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space, and covered an area of ​​more than 5.5 square miles (14 square kilometers).

Oroville Mayor David Pittman said Wednesday there was a “significant decrease in fire activity” and expressed hope that some residents would be able to return home soon.

The fire’s progress was halted along the southern edge, and firefighters working in steep terrain were trying to build containment lines on the northern side. As of Wednesday evening, containment was 7%.

“On the north side, you guys have a real challenge in terms of the topography,” Mr. Pittman said.

More than a dozen other fires have broken out across the state, most of them small, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cal Fire.

A new fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon prompted a brief evacuation in densely populated Simi Valley, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The state’s largest fire, the Basin Fire, has scorched nearly 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) of the Sierra National Forest in eastern Fresno County. It is 26% contained.

A state of emergency was declared in Oroville Tuesday evening and evacuation centers were set up. The evacuation zone expanded Wednesday to include foothills and rural areas outside the town of about 20,000 people.

With the Fourth of July holiday in mind, officials warned that many places, including most of Butte County, have fireworks bans in effect.

Authorities also cited ongoing evacuations and damage caused by the Thompson Fire for canceling a specially permitted fireworks show in Oroville.

California State Parks officials said in a statement that multiple agencies have a large number of resources responding to the fire and are making every effort to get everyone back home as quickly as possible.

“These agencies also have staff whose families were displaced by the evacuation. They continue to provide assistance to the Lake Oroville community,” the statement reads.

Authorities warn that any illegal use of fireworks will result in serious legal consequences.

“Don’t be an idiot, don’t set fires and cause us more problems,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea. “Nobody in this community wants that.”

There was no immediate official report of property damage. An Associated Press photographer saw the fire engulf three adjacent suburban-style homes in Oroville.

The fire ignited grass sprigs sticking out from the concrete banks of Lake Oroville, and gusty winds tore at American flags lining the bend of the state’s second-largest reservoir and the tallest dam in the country.

Residents standing on hillsides watched an orange glow as planes sprayed water. A crew of more than a dozen firefighters saved one home when goats and other farm animals fled.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. At the time of the outbreak, there were critical fire weather warnings in effect.