- The fire has destroyed at least 400 homes and structures.
- An estimated 14,000 buildings are threatened.
- The fire was only 21% contained.
Thousands of homes were threatened Sunday as the largest single wildfire in California history raced through hundreds of square miles of tinder-dry woodland and brush.
The Dixie Fire was less than a quarter contained after burning through more than 700 square miles in Northern California's Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Lassen counties. At least 400 homes and other structures have been destroyed, Cal Fire said in an update early Sunday.
The fire was the largest among more than major 100 wildfires in 15 states. Those fires have burned more than 3,500 square miles, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
"The fire outlook continues to reflect warmer and drier conditions leading to the high potential for severe wildfire activity throughout the (West) through the rest of summer and into the fall," the fire center warned. "Widespread high temperatures ... with periods of lightning activity continue to exacerbate the wildfire situation."
The Dixie Fire was being fueled by bone-dry vegetation and fanned by strong winds. Just about the entire Plumas County town of Greenville, population about 1,000, has been destroyed after 370 homes and structures burned late last week.
“We knew we didn’t get enough rainfall and fires could happen, but we didn’t expect a monster like this,” said Kesia Studebaker, who lives and works in the town.
A red sky and a road on fire: How this man 'barely survived' the Dixie Fire
Four firefighters were taken to the hospital Friday after being struck by a fallen tree branch. More than 20 people were reported missing in the blaze, but by Saturday afternoon authorities had contacted all but four of them.
The utility Pacific Gas & Electric has said the fire may have been sparked when a tree fell on one of its power lines. A federal judge ordered PG&E on Friday to give details by Aug. 16 about the equipment and vegetation where the fire started.
California's Dixie Fire has burned 700 square miles, larger than New York City
The fire is threatening 14,000 buildings in the northern Sierra Nevada. Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the area Saturday, thanking the 8,500 firefighter personnel "for your heroic and extraordinary work." He said the state must and will do more to manage its forests and to preposition firefighting equipment to save lives and communities.
"A the end of the day we have to acknowledge this – the dries are getting a lot drier, the heat and hot weather are a lot hotter than they have ever been," Newsom said. "We need to acknowledge straight up that these are climate-induced wildfires."
Contributing: The Associated Press
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