When will the Dixie fire be contained?

Fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation, only 21% of the Dixie fire is currently contained.

Though firefighters are making progress, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection estimates the fire won’t be fully contained until Aug. 20.

Climate change and California’s wildfires

While climate change has led to more frequent and devastating wildfires, some experts believe that California now has a new climate entirely. The majority of counties in the state are also experiencing drought, and Noah Diffenbaugh, a climate scientist from Stanford University, told ABC7 News in June that he believes all years are warm years in California now as a result of global warming.

As devastating as the Dixie Fire is, it will not be California’s last fire this year. Meanwhile, neighboring fires pose an ongoing threat. The River fire, Monument fire, McFarland fire, and Antelope fire are also currently blazing in northern California.

In 2020, California had 10,431 wildfires with a total of more than 4 million acres burned. The state is currently on track to surpass those numbers in 2021.

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