![]() Monday, crews were able to "herd the fire around the majority of the community," Brunton said. ![]() It was a fight to keep it back Tuesday as winds pushed the flames toward Susanville and Janesville. The growth of the fire slowed overnight Tuesday. Containment on the Dixie Fire increased to 33%, slightly up from 31%, officials said Wednesday.įirefighters defended homes and pushed back the Dixie Fire from the community of Janesville after spot fires took off Monday night. Its 15,000 residents were warned to be ready to evacuate, said Mark Brunton, an operations section chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Numerous resources were put into Susanville, the seat of Lassen County and the largest city the Dixie Fire has approached. ![]() The wildfires, in large part, have been fueled by high temperatures, strong winds and dry weather that left trees, brush and grasslands as flammable as tinder. At 993 square miles, it is the largest single wildfire in state history and the largest of nearly 100 major wildfires burning across more than a dozen Western states. The Dixie Fire, the nation's largest, has exploded since it began July 13. The blaze left a trail of destruction in the historic downtown area that featured buildings built in the 1800s and throughout the gold rush of 1849. A gas station, hotel and bar were among many fixtures destroyed by flames.Īn abandoned town: Haunting photos of California wildfire aftermath Dixie Fire approaches large town It's the second Northern California community destroyed by a blaze this month as thousands of residents fled without assurances their homes would be there when they returned. The Dixie Fire ravaged the gold rush town of Greenville on Aug. Authorities considered closing El Dorado National Forest, where the 46-square-mile fire burns. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in El Dorado County. A post office and elementary school were destroyed.įire officials estimated that at least 50 homes had burned in the area since the fire erupted Saturday, and two people were hospitalized with serious injuries. Houses were reduced to smoldering ash and twisted metal, only chimneys rising above the ruins. Very few homes were left standing in Grizzly Flats, where streets were littered with downed power lines and poles. ![]() To the southeast, a small blaze called the Caldor Fire exploded through Grizzly Flats, California, a town of about 1,200. The utility company announced that it enacted the shutoffs as a precaution against gusting winds damaging power lines and sparking more blazes in a tinder-dry region struggling with wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes. Late Tuesday, Pacific Gas & Electric said it began shutting off power to about 51,000 customers in 18 Northern California counties. The Dixie Fire spurred a new round of evacuation orders as fierce winds helped it grow and push the monstrous blaze within about 8 miles of Susanville, California, population about 18,000. Watch Video: Dixie Fire: California wildfire continues to grow, no slowing downĪ small California town was largely destroyed Tuesday, the second mountain community nearly leveled by a blaze in two weeks in the state, as firefighters worked to contain multiple wildfires. ![]()
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