The third-largest fire in California history this week destroyed businesses and homes in the small town of Greenville and the village of Condom.
It has already swallowed more than 180.00 hectares in four districts since declaring itself in mid-July, according to the California Fire Department, which could only be 21% of its surface area.
Three firefighters were injured during the operation.
The Blooms County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of five missing persons in Greenville, and a search is underway.
Five more people were found missing.
Refusal to vacate
Despite repeated evacuation orders from authorities, some residents fought the fire on their own, fearing their security would not be handed over to strangers.
However, the hot weather will give 5,000 firefighters a little rest to put out the fire, which is already bigger than the city of Los Angeles.
“Our units continue to work around Lake Silver,” said California Fire Officer Jack Goggle, not far from where firefighters rest between shifts.
Prolonged drought, which scientists believe is linked to climate change, has made Western America particularly vulnerable to these devastating fires.
Dixie Fire is so big now that it is now creating its own climate, including lightning, making its path even more uncertain.
According to preliminary investigations, the fire was caused by a tree falling on one of the thousands of power cables crossing the U.S. mainland.
The power line, the culprit behind the Pacific Gas & Company (PG&E), campfire, has already almost wiped the city of Paradise off the map, just minutes away in 2018.
The number of acres burned in California has increased by 250% since the end of July 2020, the worst year for fires in recent state history.
Dixie Fire painfully reminds me of Paradise Island 2018, the worst island in California in recent years.