Dixie fire becomes largest in California history

The Dixie wildfire is now the largest in California’s history. 

Thousands of homes were threatened by the Northern California blaze on Sunday, according to USA Today, which cited data from Cal Fire and the National Interagency Fire Center.

The fire has been raging for days and fueled by record dry conditions in the area in recent weeks, as well as high winds. 

“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 said in a statement on Sunday. “Widespread high temperatures … with periods of lightning activity continue to exacerbate the wildfire situation.”

The Dixie fire escalation comes shortly after it surpassed the August 2020 Complex fire for the second-largest fire over the weekend. The 2020 blaze torched more than 1 million acres and burned more than 900 structures, The Hill previously reported.

Major swaths of Plumas County, including the town of Greenville, were completely destroyed by the blaze last week, and nearly two dozen people have been reported missing since the outbreak began.

The Washington Post reported on Sunday the fire had damaged 589 buildings and injured three firefighters.