In just a week, the Park fire situated north of Sacramento has gained significant magnitude, becoming the fifth-largest wildfire in the history of California. This swift escalation has raised alarms about the possibility of a catastrophic wildfire season affecting much of the Western U.S., where almost 50 additional large or noteworthy fires were reported as of Wednesday, based on a tracker from the New York Times.

While the ongoing wildfire season has not yet reached the intensity witnessed in 2020—the most devastating year in the last two decades—the sheer number of active fires threatens to overwhelm firefighting capacities. Experts express worry given that usually, preparations ramp up in July for peak fire intensity in August and early September, but as noted by Alex Robertson, director of fire and aviation management for the U.S. Forest Service, this year they are already operating at maximum effort heading into August.

Tragically, the impact of these fires has already been felt, with one fatality reported near Denver, and a historic mining town near Bakersfield, California, having been completely destroyed. Over the past week, more than half a million acres across the Western U.S. have been consumed by wildfires, as per the Times wildfire tracker.