The Dixie Fire Becomes The Largest Wildfire In California History

On Monday, August 9, the devastating Dixie Fire grew to 489,287 acres with containment at 21%, according to Cal Fire.

The fire has been raging for 27 days and has affected the Plumas, Butte, Lassen, and Tehama counties.

Evacuation orders are currently in place for Tehama County, Plumas County, and Lassen County. The fire destroyed the communities of Greenville and Canyondam on Wednesday and Thursday (August 4-5).

It's been reported that the Dixie Fire is currently the second-largest wildfire in the state's history. The August Complex Fire that ravaged Northern California nearly a year ago burned more than 1 million acres.

However, SFGate reports that many are considering the Dixie Fire the state's largest wildfire because of a distinction.

The August Complex was a complex fire which means that it consisted of multiple fires. According to SFGate, the August Complex was made of up 38 separate fires sparked by lightning strikes.

The Dixie Fire is a single fire and while there have been a few spot fires, the majority of the damage is the result of the fire that ignited near Cresta Dam in the Feather River Canyon on July 13.

The Pacific Gas & Electric utility announced the fire may have been started by a tree falling on one of its power lines. However, the fire's cause is still under investigation.