Massive Wildfire Becomes Largest in California History

The Mendocino Complex became the largest wildfire in Californian history on Monday as it raged at the southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest where crews battled to keep flames from descending into foothill communities.

Fire officials expect it to take another nine days to fully contain the so-called Mendocino Complex Fire, which had scorched 273,664 acres (110,748 hectares) by Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, an area nearly the size of Los Angeles.

“Unfortunately, they’re not going to get a break anytime soon,” Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, said in an interview on Monday.  “It’s pretty doggone hot and dry, and it’s going to stay that way.”

Some areas in Central and Northern California could see temperatures reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) and winds of 15 miles (24 km) per hour, with higher gusts that could fan the flames and spread embers, he said.  Environmentalists and some politicians say the uptick in the intensity of the state’s wildfire season may be linked in part to climate change.

Read more at California Wildfire Becomes Second Largest in State History