The Park Fire has become one of California's largest fires on record, burning an area nearly half the size of Rhode Island.

A burning car, pushed into a gully less than a week ago, has ignited one of the largest wildfires in California's history. As of Sunday, the Park Fire has expanded to over 360,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire since 2020 and the seventh-largest in state history.

According to CalFire's latest update, the Park Fire now covers 360,141 acres and is 12% contained. This area—approximately 563 square miles—is about half the size of Rhode Island and nearly 12 times larger than San Francisco County. It is also slightly larger than the city of Los Angeles.

The fire ranks as the seventh-largest in California's history, situated between the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire, which burned 363,220 acres, and the North Complex Fire of the same year, which charred 318,935 acres. The August Complex Fire of 2020 remains the largest wildfire on record, with over 1 million acres burned.

Four counties—Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama—are affected by the blaze. Officials report that at least 100 structures have been destroyed, with over 4,000 more threatened. Fortunately, there have been no known injuries or fatalities among civilians or firefighters.

After days of "rapid growth," cooler temperatures on Sunday helped temper the fire's intensity, allowing responders to tackle the blaze more effectively outside National Forest lands. However, reduced smoke has led to a "warmer climate around the fire," resulting in increased activity.

The Park Fire has caused significant destruction, including fire tornadoes, and has encroached upon Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is now closed. The park has been working to protect historic artifacts from the 1927 Loomis Museum. The fire's advance is particularly poignant, as it follows the devastation from the 2021 Dixie Fire.

Residents are grappling with the loss. Christopher Apel and his brother-in-law Bruce Hey, who have lived in the Cohasset area for decades, reported extensive damage. Hey suffered burns while evacuating, and Apel described the scene as "everything burning."

Julie Yarbough, a former CBS Los Angeles news anchor, witnessed her home being destroyed via security camera. She shared her grief with CBS News Sacramento, describing the experience as "surreal" and expressing a sense of numbness as she processes the loss.