California Fire Update As Inferno Threatens Major Tourist Attraction

 California Fire Update As Inferno Threatens Major Tourist Attraction

California Fire Update As Inferno Threatens Major Tourist Attraction, An enormous wildfire over 3,500 acres in area is approaching a popular California destination.

The Thompson fire, which is currently burning at the outskirts of Oroville in Butte County, California, is slowly getting closer to the famous North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve.

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This reserve is famed for its spectacular bloom of wildflowers in the spring months, drawing vast numbers of tourists thanks to its unique geological formations, and diverse plant and animal life.

The North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is situated on a mesa-like landform just north of Oroville, created by ancient lava flows. One of the main attractions of the site is its spectacular wildflower blooms, which occur typically from late February to early May. The reserve hosts a variety of native wildflowers, including lupines, poppies, and the rare Table Mountain meadowfoam.

The reserve is now closed due to the Thompson wildfire, which started burning on Tuesday morning. The fire is currently 3,568 acres in area, and only 7 percent contained, according to the latest Cal Fire update. The wildfire is thought to have started as a result of the intense heatwave currently scorching California, combined with the incredibly parched scrub vegetation in the area.

"Conditions out there in our county this summer are much different than what we've experienced the last two summers," Garrett Sjolund, the unit chief for Cal Fire's Butte County Fire Department, said at a news conference on Tuesday. "The fuels are very dense, the brush is dry and as you'll see, any wind out there will move the fire quickly."