Thompson Fire Continues to Rage, But Some Residents Return Home

An air tanker drops fire retardant in an attempt to stop the spread of the Grubbs Fire in the Butte County community of Palermo on Wednesday.

As about 1,062 firefighters continued to battle the Thompson Fire near Oroville in Butte County on Thursday, reports indicated that some of the 28,000 residents forced to evacuate may be returning home.

The fire, the cause of which remains under investigation, had consumed about 3,500 acres as of Thursday, according to Cal Fire, the state's main firefighting agency, with only 7% of the blaze currently contained.

About 12,180 structures are also at risk, with 13,000 homes already affected by the fire and four structures already destroyed.

But Cal Fire officials revised evacuation orders and warnings Thursday, meaning some residents have returned home. The Oroville Church of the Nazarene and the Butte County Fairgrounds are now also being used as shelters.

According to Cal Fire, numerous firefighting air tankers from across the state are flying firefighting missions in the area.

Chris Peterson, public information officer for Cal Fire, said multiple engines, bulldozers and other vehicles are also being used to help fire crews continue to fight the blaze.

The July 4 fireworks show in Oroville was canceled Thursday. And California State Parks estimates that area parks could remain closed through Friday depending on weather conditions.

Peterson said the Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, has not yet suffered any damage, but the fire has ravaged both sides of the dam.

“The dam is a major infrastructure, so we make sure to deploy teams in the area. This way we can protect the infrastructure, because we don't want this to turn into a more serious incident,” he said.

He also said Cal Fire expects winds to change Thursday and humidity levels to remain low, potentially causing the fire to flare up again.

“We have crews working on the ground to put out the fire,” Peterson said.

On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the Thompson Fire and announced that the state had received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure fire crews have more resources to put out the blaze.

“We are using every tool available to fight this fire and will continue to work closely with our local and federal partners to support impacted communities,” Newsom said. “As we head into some of the most challenging months of the wildfire season, the state is better prepared than ever to protect at-risk communities with new tools, technologies and resources.”

He also said Cal Fire should expect winds to change today and humidity levels to remain low, which could cause the fire to flare up again.

“We have crews working on the ground to put out the fire,” Peterson said.

Peterson also said Cal Fires is currently calculating how many homes burned and the cause of the fire.

“We have teams that go out into the field and go around every house that's close to the fire line to make sure everything is documented,” he said.