Updated July 27: Personnel from the UC Davis Fire Department were reassigned Friday from the Gold Complex Fire to the Park Fire, which currently spans Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. 

The Park Fire began near Chico and is more than 350,000 acres with 10% containment as of today, according to Cal Fire. That agency said the cause of the fire was arson.

At least 20 structures have been destroyed, Cal Fire said.

Original story, published July 26: Campus firefighters who had been battling the Shelly Fire in Siskiyou County returned earlier this week, and a few days later Brush Truck 34 was back on the road with a fresh crew, headed for another wildfire.

The returning crew, who had been away since July 9, comprised Capt. Kyle Dubs and Capt. Steve Dunn; and Firefighters Chad Cunningham, Gerrit Dykzeul and Meggie Elledge. They returned to campus Sunday (July 21).

The new UC Davis Fire Department crew left campus in the early morning hours Wednesday, headed to the Gold Complex Fire in Plumas County. They are Capt. Paul Rush; Engineer Ryan Tooley; and Firefighters Chris Hay and Cara Martinez.

They joined Capt. Cess Mercado, who left a day earlier to join the effort against that same fire as a strike team leader trainee.

The Gold Complex Fire was 3,000 acres and 11% contained as of this morning, Cal Fire said. It includes four fires near the city of Portola.

“For all four fires, they are growing rapidly due to winds, slope and dry fuels,” Cal Fire said. “There are structures threatened by all four fires, including the communities of Whitehawk Ranch, Clio, Gold Mountain, Delleker, Lake Davis Area and the south and west sides of Portola.”