Dixie Fire becomes third largest fire in California history

The massive wildfire ravaging northern California became the third largest fire in recent California history on Friday, August 6, and its expansion could continue.

The prolonged drought, which scientists believe is linked to climate change, has made the western United States particularly vulnerable to these very destructive fires.

Read also: The gigantic Dixie Fire continues its mad race in California

The Dixie Fire, which devastated the small town of Greenville this week, has devoured more than 170,000 hectares since it broke out in mid-July.

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" Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns, who is helping to coordinate efforts against it, said at a press conference. the fire and has lived in Greenville “

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" in this town of 800 inhabitants.

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More than 5,000 firefighters fight the huge blaze.

FRED GREAVES / REUTERS

Scorched, Greenville showed nothing but ruins on Friday. All the wooden structures were reduced to ashes and some stone buildings to rubble. If no one has been injured by the blaze yet, it is vital that locals in their path heed evacuation advisories, said Todd Johns. “

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More than 5,000 firefighters battled the massive blaze, whose huge billows of smoke are visible from space.

Authorities have said they expect gusts of wind to fuel the blaze.

These squalls, combined with difficult terrain and abundant, very dry vegetation, made the efforts of the fire fighters even more difficult.

Read also: Fires: the five plagues of California

The Dixie Fire expanded overnight to cover 175,000 hectares, an area larger than that of the Bootleg Fire, devastating the state of Oregon, further north.

Its flames are painfully reminiscent of the Paradise Fire of 2018, California's deadliest blaze in recent years. Faulty power lines, which ran through the northern town of Paradise, had caused the blaze, killing 86 people.