The ongoing Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties has now destroyed 480 buildings and counting, according to the latest update from Cal Fire. And while the fire has progressed more slowly over the last several days, that may change as hotter, drier weather sets in.

"Today will mark the first of several days where fire weather will become increasingly critical," Cal Fire say in the Thursday morning update. "Temperatures will rise from the upper 90s to the lower 100s. Daytime humidity will fall to upper teens today. Winds will be drier out of the south, but speeds will be close to previous days. There is increased instability in the north where we will see columns and plumes of smoke."

The agency adds, "A warm air mass is predicted to enter the area Friday through Saturday with the potential for thunderstorms and erratic winds."

The Park Fire's total size rose to 392,480 as of today, and it remains burning in Butte and Tehama counties, with the majority of current fire activity on the northeast flank of the fire, in Tehama County.

While earlier reports suggested the fire had crossed into Shasta and Plumas counties, that is not yet the case, though parts of Shasta in the Shingletown area remain under evacuation orders and warnings. Evacuation orders for Plumas County have now been lifted.

U.S. Forest Service meteorologist Jeff Tonkin spoke to the Chronicle about the near-term forecast for the Park Fire vicinity, saying that dry lightning could be in the mix in the coming days — "Like we needed something else," Tonkin says.

"Things are definitely getting hotter and drier," he adds, noting that at this point in the fire season we wouldn't normally have already seen a fire as huge as the Park Fire.

But, in the good news column, two consecutive wet winters mean that more moisture has likely been retained in the forests of Northern California. This will make them somewhat more fire-resistant than the areas of dry grass and brush — also fed by the rains and dried to a crisp in June heatwaves — that have been largely what's burning so far.

Tonkin forecasts that August and September should be calmer, fire-wise, with perhaps a couple of a 50,000 acres — but who knows? And as we've seen in past years, even a fire that's fraction of the size of the Park Fire can do devastating damages to towns in its path.

The Park Fire has now been burning for eight days.

The prime suspect in causing the fire, 42-year-old Ronnie Dean Stout II, was arraigned Monday and charged with felony arson and arson with aggravating factors. Stout was allegedly seen pushing a burning car into a ravine on July 24, after he had been seen driving recklessly and intoxicated earlier in the day.

Previously: Residents of Sierra Foothills Town Describe Harrowing Escape Ordeal During Park Fire's First Night

Photo courtesy of Cal Fire