San Diego-area fire crews deployed to Park Fire in Northern California

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Fire crews from San Diego County are supporting firefighting efforts in Northern California against the Park Fire, which became the sixth largest wildfire in state history on Monday after two days of rapid growth.

In a statement, San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Mónica Muñoz said two crews of four firefighters were deployed to the Park Fire as part of a strike team in partnership with the Chula Vista Fire Department.

As of Tuesday morning, Cal Fire said the Park Fire, which authorities believe was caused solely by arson, had reached about 380,000 acres in size, impacting four counties: Butte, Shasta, Plumas and Tehama.

To put that acreage in perspective, the land the fire has burned is more than 12 times larger than San Francisco County and nearly half the size of Rhode Island.

According to Cal Fire, the fire is sitting at about 14% containment as of Tuesday, with roughly 100 structures destroyed and thousands more still threatened by flames.

According to Muñoz, the Park Fire is one of four wildfires across the state that SDFD crews have been sent to support local fire agencies' on-the-ground efforts. As of Monday, local firefighters are also responding to the SQF Lighting Fire, the Pyramid Fire and the Hill Fire.

Each assignment is typically two weeks long, Muñoz added, but she said that teams' tenure can be shortened or extended as needed depending on the way the incident progresses. During this time, crews are both on the front lines and serving in support roles, such as GIS mapping, field observers and safety officers.

"The fire agencies where these fires are burning have their hands full with the incident so they call in resources via the mutual aid system to help out in a variety of roles. If we had a large-scale incident in our county, the same would apply," Muñoz said.

In light of the Park Fire becoming one of the largest in the state's history, Cal Fire officials took to social media on Monday to reiterate the importance of remaining prepared for an emergency, especially as fire season continues to rage.

"The Park Fire has become the sixth-largest wildfire in California's history, affecting Butte, Tehama, Shasta, and Plumas counties," the post read. "This realism underscores the urgent need for wildfire preparedness."

Above: A FOX 5/KUSI video on wildfire emergency preparedness.

Cal Fire added that essential tips on what residents should be doing to prepare for a wildfire, including prepping one's property and evacuation plans, can be found on the agency's website.

"Efforts by CAL FIRE and our partners, in addition to favorable weather conditions, have allowed progress in containment, however hotter weather is on the horizon," Cal Fire continued. "The summer is far from over, so staying prepared is crucial."