The fire surpassed the Mendocino Complex Fire, which scorched 459,123 acres in 2018….reports Asian Lite News
Dixie Fire, a fast-moving wildfire has grown to become the second largest in California’s history as more than 8,500 firefighters are continuing to battle 11 major wildfires across the state, authorities said.
Dixie Fire, raging in Northern California, was at 463,477 acres and only 21 per cent contained, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) in an incident report on Sunday.
The fire surpassed the Mendocino Complex Fire, which scorched 459,123 acres in 2018, reports Xinhua news agency.
In California’s history, it’s now only behind the massive 2020 August Complex Fire, which burned 1,032,648 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The fire, which started on July 13, also became the largest wildfire so far this year in the country.
The fire, burning through four counties in Northern California, had destroyed at least 404 structures and forced thousands of local residents to evacuate.
More than 5,100 firefighters are working to contain it.
According to Cal Fire, six of the top seven largest wildfires in the state’s history, including the Dixie Fire, have occurred since 2020.
More than 6,000 wildfires have burned nearly 580,000 acres in California this year, according to the Cal Fire’s 2021 Incident Archive.
The state and most of the U.S West are in the grip of a severe drought of historic proportions.
Meanwhile, the Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California has been forced to close as a massive wildfire continued to explode in size in the region.
The fast-moving fire, dubbed Dixie Fire, is active in the remote eastern side of Lassen Volcanic National Park, said park officials in a news release, noting that an emergency closure is in place for the entire park.
“The temporary closure ensures firefighters have unimpeded access to all areas of the park,” said Jim Richardson, superintendent of the park.
“The park’s current priorities are to ensure the immediate evacuation of visitors and to protect facilities along the park highway and in the Manzanita Lake and Mineral Headquarters areas,” he added.
