As fire personnel attempted to safeguard rural towns from flames that had burned hundreds of houses, California’s largest single wildfire in recorded history continued to burn into forestlands.
At an evening briefing, Kyle Jacobson, the east zone incident commander, stated, “Today was the first day in a few days that we had nice, clean air in there so we were able to deploy our helicopters,” allowing some progress.
“We have no idea where this fire will end up or where it will land. The Plumas National Forest supervisor, Chris Carlton, stated, “It continues to test us.”
However, fire meteorologist Rich Thompson warned that high-pressure building over the Western United States meant the weather would heat up and dry out again in the coming days, with temperatures possibly reaching triple digits on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as a return of strong afternoon winds.
Officials say damage reports are preliminary since assessment teams can’t reach into many places.
Even more concerning, monsoonal moisture from the south might bring a chance of thunderstorms throughout the weekend, which could bring dry lightning and winds, posing a larger fire risk, according to Thompson.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire had expanded to 753 square miles (1,950 square kilometers) and was just 22% controlled. It had engulfed an area more than twice the size of New York City in flames.
A falling limb hit four firemen on Friday, sending them to the hospital. More than 30 persons were reported missing at first, but the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office had found them all by Monday.
The blazing flames in California are among more than a hundred major fires raging across 15 states, primarily in the West, where unprecedented drought has left areas dry and ready for ignition.
The Dixie Fire was the biggest wildfire in the United States at the time. According to Rocky Oplinger, an incident commander, over a quarter of all firefighters deployed to Western fires are battling California blazes.
The cause of the fire was being investigated. A tree falling on one of Pacific Gas & Electric’s power cables may have caused the fire. On Friday, a federal judge ordered PG&E to provide information regarding the equipment and vegetation that caused the fire by Aug. 16.
South of the Dixie Fire, firefighters slowed the spread of the River Fire, which started in Colfax on Wednesday and burned 68 houses.