People living in the scenic forestlands of Northern California found themselves facing a weekend of fear as the largest single wildfire in state history threatened to reduce thousands of homes to ashes.
The Dixie Fire that incinerated much of the gold rush-era town of Greenville has destroyed 268 homes and other structures and is threatening nearly 14,000 buildings in the northern Sierra Nevada. It had engulfed an area larger than the size of New York City.
Wind-driven flames destroyed homes and most of Greenville's downtown on Wednesday and Thursday, and also heavily damaged Canyondam, a hamlet with a population of about three dozen people. The fire reached the town of Chester, but crews managed to protect homes and businesses there, officials said.
At least eight people were missing Saturday as one of the worst wildfires in the nation scorched through Northern California communities, forest and tinder dry scrub in the Sierra Nevada mountains, destroying a historic gold rush town.
ReplyDeleteEven as the calmer, less windy weather gave firefighters a break overnight with the Dixie fire, the third largest fire in California's history, the Pulmas County Sheriff's Office released the somber news.