The Dixie Fire Is Less Than A Third Contained

By Dave Mattingly / NPR

Published August 12, 2021 at 7:54 AM PDT

This story was published more than 3 years ago.

A burned truck sits parked next to a property that was destroyed by the Dixie Fire on August 11, 2021, in Greenville, California. The Dixie Fire, which has incinerated over 500,000 acres, is the second-largest recorded wildfire in state history. The fire stands at 30 percent contained.

The Dixie Fire in Northern California continues to expand: It's now burning 780 square miles, amid high temperatures and dry conditions.

Containment remains at less than a third. It's the largest wildfire in California, having destroyed more than 500 homes and most of historic downtown Greenville.The Dixie Fire spared the tiny town of Chester in Northern California. But the massive blaze dramatically transformed the landscape, and could affect it for years to come.

In Montana, several thousand people remain under evacuation orders in the state's southeast. That's where the Richard Spring Fire is threatening dozens of small communities, including the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

Become a KPBS sponsor

Large fires are burning in 14 states, mostly in the Western U.S.

This story originally ran on the Morning Edition live blog.