Devastating wildfires continued to wreak havoc across the western United States, with California battling one of its largest fires in history and Colorado fighting rapidly growing fires that have claimed a life. In Northern California, firefighters are battling the Park Fire, currently the largest active wildfire in the nation. As of Wednesday afternoon, the blaze had consumed more than 391,000 acres, making it the fifth-largest fire in California’s history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Four counties, namely Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama, were affected. Damage inspection teams have completed 75 per cent of their assessments, revealing the destruction of 361 structures and damage to 36 others in Butte and Tehama counties. More than 5,800 personnel are currently engaged in fighting the Park Fire, utilising 521 fire engines and 41 helicopters.

In Colorado, the situation is equally dire, with four wildfires reported in just three days, forcing hundreds of evacuations and claiming at least one life. According to the National Interagency Fire Centre, as of Wednesday, 95 large wildfires were burning across the country, scorching nearly 2.2 million acres in total.