California Fire Toll Reaches 1 Million Burned Acres

By Mark Chediak
Aug 16, 2021, 6:34 PM - Updated on Aug 16, 2021, 8:08 PM
Word Count: 282
Crews are battling 10 large blazes including the Dixie Fire, the second-biggest in state history, that has already scorched about 570,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection known as Cal Fire.

The Dixie Fire, which may have been started by equipment owned by utility giant PG&E Corp., was 31% contained as of Monday morning.

Meanwhile, PG&E began notifying about 39,000 customers in Northern California that it may need to cut power as soon as Tuesday evening to prevent electrical lines from sparking new fires during dry and windy weather. The National Weather Service has issued a fire-weather watch for portions of Northern California for Tuesday evening through late Wednesday with expected wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour).

California's Dixie Fire Now State's Second-Biggest Wildfire Ever
A resident defies evacuation orders to walksher dog along Arlington Road during the Dixie Fire in Taylorsville, California, U.S., on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The Dixie Fire, which PG&E says may have been sparked by its equipment, is the second-largest blaze in state history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A severe drought has parched much of the most-populous U.S. state, leaving hillside grasses and forests vulnerable to ignition. This year’s pace of destruction is a historical record and is ahead of last year, which ended up being the worst annual fire season ever with 4.3 million acres burned, according to Cal Fire. The current devastation comes ahead of what’s typically the most-active fire period, when autumn offshore winds pick up and lead to dangerous fire conditions.

(Updates with record pace in first paragraph)