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California’s largest wildfire has exploded again after burning for nearly three weeks in remote mountains, with authorities warning the hot, dry weather threatens to further fuel the flames.
Officials have warned that high temperatures increase the risk of new fires across much of the state. “I think we definitely have a few tough days ahead of us,” said Shannon Prather of the US Forest Service.
Strong winds fueled the Dixie fire on Tuesday, which reached more than 395 square miles (1,024 km2) in Plumas and Butte counties. The blaze crossed the perimeter lines in a few places, prompting additional evacuation orders for around 15,000 people, firefighters said.
The heat from the flames also created a cloud of pyrocumulus, a huge column of smoke that rose 30,000 feet (10,000 meters) into the air, said Mike Wink, chief of the fire operations section of the state.
Firefighters had been able to save homes and contain large swathes of the blaze in recent days, but a red flag warning was expected from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday due to hot, dry conditions with winds up to 40 mph. This could cause flames through the woods, brush and grass, especially along the north and northeast sides of the vast wildfire.
Similar risky weather is expected in Southern California, with heat advisories and warnings issued for inland valleys, mountains and deserts for much of the week.
The Dixie fire has threatened thousands of homes and destroyed 67 homes and other buildings since July 14. It was 35% content.
About 240 km west of the Dixie Blaze, the lightning-triggered McFarland Blaze threatened isolated homes along the Trinity River in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This blaze was only 5% contained and was burning fiercely through drought-stricken vegetation and had doubled in size each day, fire officials warned.
Heat waves and the historic drought associated with climate change have made wildfires more difficult to fight in the American West. Scientists say climate change has made the region much hotter and drier over the past 30 years and will continue to make weather conditions more extreme and forest fires more frequent and destructive.
Nearly 100 large active wildfires burn in 13 US states, employing more than 20,000 firefighters and support personnel.
California is struggling with 11 major active fires. Montana has 25 and Idaho 21.
In southern Oregon, lightning struck parched forests hundreds of times in 24 hours, triggering 50 new wildfires. But firefighters and planes attacked the flames before they spread uncontrollably and no homes were immediately threatened.
The state’s Bootleg Fire, the largest in the country at 1,676 km² (647 square miles), was 84% contained and firefighters were busy cleaning up hot spots and reinforcing fire lines.
“The teams are working around the clock to make sure we are as prepared as possible for the extreme weather forecast for the next two days,” an update from the US Forest Service said.
In Hawaii, Big Island firefighters in recent days have taken control of the largest bushfire the island has ever recorded.. The Nation Fire burned more than 62 square miles (160 km²), forcing thousands of people to evacuate and destroying two homes.
Mike Walker, the state forester in charge of fire protection for the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, said the total area burned could end up being the highest the state has ever seen.
“It’s pretty significant,” he said, adding that sustained winds at 30mph with gusts of up to 50mph caused the blaze of about 100 acres per hour through Saturday and Sunday. .
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