Evacuation orders were widened Thursday as California's biggest wildfire raged through the state's tinder-dry landscape, laying waste to hundreds of square miles (kilometers).
The Dixie Fire is already the sixth biggest in the state's history, and was still spreading thanks to gusting winds and record-low humidity.
It has now engulfed around 500 square miles . Almost a fifth of that area was added overnight Wednesday into Thursday."We did everything we could," California fire department spokesman Mitch Matlow told reporters. "Sometimes it's just not enough." The fire swept through the town on Wednesday afternoon, where the impact was devastating, said Jake Cagle, incident management team operations section chief.
Control lines established by firefighters were breached overnight, with the fire growing "explosively" in places, according to incident commanders. The Dixie Fire has evoked painful memories of the Paradise Fire, the deadliest blaze in California's recent history.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. wildfires burning in 13 states, have torched area over half the size of ConnecticutThe Dixie Fire jumped perimeter lines in a few spots Tuesday, prompting additional evacuation orders for some 15,000 people, fire officials said.
Read more »
PG&E’s corporate bonds take a lashing as Dixie fire ragesThe Dixie Fire in Northern California, already the state's eight largest ever, burns a small Gold Rush-era town overnight and prompts area evacuations, weeks...
Read more »
Dixie Fire grows 50K acres overnight, becomes 6th largest wildfire in California historyThe extreme fire behavior of Wednesday night was fueled by low humidity and strong winds, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
Read more »
Out-of-control wildfire destroys town of Greenville, California, as dry, gusty conditions encourage rapid spread“This is what it looks like behind the fire lines.” Officials in Northern California released footage showing the conditions facing firefighters as they battle the River Fire burning north of Sacramento.
Read more »
California's climate nomads: The 2018 Camp fire left them homeless, struggling to surviveThousands of people displaced by the Camp fire in 2018 are still stuck in limbo, many camping on their own land and fearing eviction.
Read more »
Fire engulfs Northern California town, leveling businessesGREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) — California’s largest wildfire has leveled much of the downtown and some surrounding homes in a small Northern California mountain community. The Dixie Fire tore through the Greenville on Wednesday evening, destroying businesses and homes as the sky was cast in an orange glow.
Read more »