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Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

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Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather
News

News

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

2024-08-09 13:06 Last Updated At:13:10

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — California's largest wildfire so far this year continued to grow Thursday as it chewed through timber in very hot and dry weather.

The Park Fire has scorched more than 660 square miles (1,709 square kilometers) since erupting July 24 near the Sacramento Valley city of Chico and burning northward up the western flank of the Sierra Nevada. Containment remained at 34%, Cal Fire said.

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A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fire burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fire burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fires burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fires burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter works to protect a structure as the Park Fire approaches in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter works to protect a structure as the Park Fire approaches in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames leap above trees as the Park Fire burns in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames leap above trees as the Park Fire burns in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter drops retardant while trying to keep the Park Fire from spreading in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter drops retardant while trying to keep the Park Fire from spreading in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames from a spot fire rise above trees along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames from a spot fire rise above trees along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter walks through haze as the Park Fire burns near the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter walks through haze as the Park Fire burns near the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

The conflagration's early explosive growth quickly made it California's fourth-largest wildfire on record before favorable weather reduced its intensity late last week. It reawakened this week due to the heat and very low relative humidity levels.

A large portion of the burned area was in mop-up stage but spot fires were a continuing problem, officials said during Thursday morning's operational briefing.

The fire's northeast corner was the top firefighting priority, operations deputy Jed Gaines said.

“It's not time to celebrate,” he said. “We got several more days of hard work to hold what we got in there.”

The latest Park Fire assessments found 636 structures destroyed and 49 damaged. A local man was arrested after authorities alleged he started the fire by pushing a burning car into a gully in a wilderness park outside Chico.

About 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the south, a new forest fire in El Dorado County was exhibiting extreme behavior, and some Park Fire aircraft were being diverted there.

The Crozier Fire, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Placerville, had burned more than 2 square miles (5.17 square kilometers) of timber and chaparral as of Thursday evening and was just 5% contained. The fire threatens 1,625 structures, according to Cal Fire.

This story has been corrected to show that the Crozier Fire has burned 5.17 square kilometers, not 3.2 square kilometers.

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fire burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fire burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fires burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing as the Park Fires burns along State Route 172 in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter works to protect a structure as the Park Fire approaches in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter works to protect a structure as the Park Fire approaches in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames leap above trees as the Park Fire burns in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames leap above trees as the Park Fire burns in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters work to keep a spot fire from growing along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter drops retardant while trying to keep the Park Fire from spreading in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter drops retardant while trying to keep the Park Fire from spreading in the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames from a spot fire rise above trees along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Flames from a spot fire rise above trees along State Route 172 as the Park Fire burns in the Mill Creek community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter walks through haze as the Park Fire burns near the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter walks through haze as the Park Fire burns near the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter uses a drip torch to burn vegetation while trying to stop the Park Fire from near Mill Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A$AP Rocky turned down a final prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail, risking the possibility of a guilty verdict and years in prison as jury selection began at his trial on Tuesday.

The agreement offered to the 36-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor was to plead guilty to one of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Los Angeles County prosecutors would also recommend a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and the six-month jail term.

But Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, told a judge he respectfully declined.

He is accused of firing at a former friend near a Hollywood hotel in 2021, and could get a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Rocky's attorney Joe Tacopina also revealed for the first time in court Tuesday that the defense plans to call witnesses to testify that a firearm seen on a security video is a starter pistol that Rocky carried as a prop for security.

A panel of more than 100 prospective jurors were summoned to the downtown Los Angeles courtroom and packed into the gallery. Opening statements will come once 12 of them and alternates are seated. That won't be until at least Wednesday, when selection is set to resume. Cameras will be allowed in the courtroom starting with openings.

The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star's longtime partner is Rihanna, and the couple have two toddler sons together. Tacopina suggested that it's unlikely the pop star will show up in court.

Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after. But his life could be upended with a conviction.

Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold has said he hopes to seat a jury quickly, and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors.

“Mr. Mayers is an entertainer," Arnold told the prospective jurors. "His stage name is A$AP rocky. His life partner is also an entertainer. Her name is Rihanna. Because Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a celebrity, that cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him."

Of the initial 12 jurors questioned, four said they knew who Rocky was, and 10 said they knew who Rihanna was.

In 2023, another judge ruled after a preliminary hearing that Rocky should stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.

Initial questioning on Tuesday revealed that the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires have affected many of the potential jurors' lives, including one woman who is fostering many displaced animals, and at least one man who had to evacuate. The judge himself revealed he had to evacuate from his home for 11 days.

“Luckily the house didn’t burn down," Arnold said.

One man was excused early in the process because he said his anti-gun feelings were too strong for him to be fair.

Tacopina tried to explore the potential jurors' feelings about hip-hop artists and their music, and several said they had negative feelings, though not overwhelming ones. Some cited parenting as the reason.

“I used to love it but then I had a kid,” one panelist said.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, questioning for the prosecution, told those with negative feelings, “You will not be called upon to render a verdict on how you feel about rap music, do you understand that?" All said yes.

Tacopina, who like his client Rocky is from New York and has represented President Donald Trump, also asked whether anyone on the jury is rubbed the wrong way by New Yorkers, bringing laughs throughout the room.

“When I get up here with this ridiculous accent, which I try not to have but I do, is anyone going to have a problem?" he said. “I will point out that we gave you guys the Dodgers a few years ago.”

No one conceded any negative feelings.

“I love LA," the lawyer added.

FILE - A$AP Rocky, left, and Rihanna attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on Sept. 13, 2021. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - A$AP Rocky, left, and Rihanna attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on Sept. 13, 2021. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Rapper A$AP Rocky at Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2019. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Rapper A$AP Rocky at Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2019. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Rapper A$AP Rocky appears in a Los Angeles Superior courtroom on Aug. 17, 2022, where he pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Rapper A$AP Rocky appears in a Los Angeles Superior courtroom on Aug. 17, 2022, where he pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File)

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