Dixie wildfire becomes the largest in California history, torching 482,000 acres and forcing thousands to evacuate
The Dixie Fire in Northern California has become the largest wildfire in the state's history.
The fire has torn through more than 487,00 acres in Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Lassen counties and has been ongoing for more than 27 days.
Close to 6,000 personnel have been assigned to fight off the devastating fire, but only 25percent of the blaze has been contained, officials have said.
At least 893 structures have been damaged, and 12,000 people have been evacuated. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported.
A before and after series shows a community center in flames in Greenville, California and the damaged structure after the fire was put out
A two store house burning and the remaining ashes after the fire . Thousands have been evacuated and close to 900 structures have been destroyed
The devastating blaze continues as 6,000 personnel are working to fight it off
Four firefighters were injured when a tree branch fell on them while they battled with inclement weather conditions
A station market in Greensville, California burned by the Dixie Fire, which has spread across Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Lassen counties
An American flag lies on the incinerated remains of a completely destroyed structure
A house burning on July 24 and its remains two days later on July 26
Fortunately, the blaze has not claimed human lives
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Last year's August Complex Fire scorched 1 million acres, twice as Dixie has so far, but it is considered a 'Complex Fire' because it was made up of multiple different lightning-sparked blazes.
Dixie might have originated when a tree fell on one of the power lines of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company on July 13. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were called to put out the initially small fire but poor roads and an unauthorized drone prevented the department from successfully mitigating the fire before darkness fell.
On July 22, Dixie merged with the Fly Fire, while firefighters battled inclement weather conditions. Four firefighters were hurt when they were struck by a fallen branch.
Firefighters have had to deal with people reluctant to leave - some of whom pulled guns on them - even as the wildfire continues to spread. Their refusals meant that firefighters spent precious time loading people into cars to ferry them out, said Jake Cagle, an incident management operations section chief.
'We have firefighters that are getting guns pulled out on them, because people don't want to evacuate,' he said.
The Dixie Fire progressed through July and was briefly contained, before major wind exacerbated the blaze.
The Dixie Fire is now California's largest ever, propagating through four counties
Firefighters have faced a challenge of proportions as they dealt with arid weather and major winds
The face of a horse toy left behind, disfigured by the flames of the Dixie Fire
Thousands were evacuated, leaving behind their homes and belongings
Don Crail, whose home burned down, is rushed into an ambulance for a medical issue in Greenville, California
Two partially burned chairs sit among destroyed structures caused by the Dixie Fire. The fire burned down 75percent of the town of Greenville
A firefighter from Huntington Beach looks up a mountainside after cutting a large tree
At least 163 water tenders have been employed in attempts to contain Dixie
Flames emerge from a house in Greenville , as the house burns to the ground
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company was ordered to provide details on the circumstances around the fire to a federal judge by August 16.
More land has burned in the Dixie Fire than in the Creek Fire, in which 379,895 acres had scorched by the time it was 100% contained on Christmas Eve.
At least 163 water tenders have been employed in attempts to contain Dixie, but the unforgiving blaze has incinerated 75percent of the structures in the town of Greenville.
The fire, fueled by bone-dry vegetation and 40 mph gusts, raged through the community of Greenville, leveling most of its historic downtown and leaving blocks of homes in ashes.
The town's historical museum, church, hotel, a bar and 100-year-old wooden buildings were destroyed.
Assessment teams can not access many areas that have been affected, but preliminary reports account for 14,000 buildings being threatened in the northern Sierra Nevada, according to FOX.
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Firefighters from Huntington Beach talk about the days plans
Firefighters from Huntington Beach survey a mountainside before extinguishing a small blaze
During and after the flames: A gas station market and a house burn down to ashes
California's wildfire season hit its worst recorded to date in 2020. More acres have been torched in 2021 than in 2020 in the period to date
A car, and the Pioneer Café in Greenville were destroyed as a result of the Dixie Fire decimating the town
Unforgiving flames come out of a vehicle in Greenville . The frame of the car is all that's left after the fire has been put out , while the car next to it seems not to have been affected
The fire now convers an area larger than Los Angeles
The Way Station Bar in Greensville before and after it burned during the Dixie Fire
The consequences to the environment are being felt across state lines. Even as far as 1,100 miles to the east of California, in Denver, Dixie has created a pall of smoke.
The California fires have produced overwhelming levels of pollution and heat during what already was a summer with record-breaking temperatures. The New York Times reported that the air in Denver and Salt Lake City is now more harmful than Delhi's and Beijing's.
This year California has faced an unparalleled fire season, set to surpass 2020's, which is the worst recorded to date. By mid-July, 103,588 more acres had been scorched compared to the same period last year, according to Cal Fire.
Top 20 most destructive California wildfires, from 2018's Camp Fire which killed 85 to last year's Creek blaze which razed 379,895 acres