As of August 17, 2021, the Dixie Fire in Northern California reached a staggering 604,511 acres (or around 944 square miles), cementing its position as the second-largest wildfire in recorded California history. [source]
To make matters worse, conditions in the state are ripe for further fire growth. With winds between 15 and 25 miles per hour, and a significant lack of recent rainfall, the fire continues to ravage more and more of the Butte, Plumas, and Lassen counties. The fire is still only 31% contained (according to Cal Fire) and grew over 35,000 acres between Monday and Tuesday.
Due to extreme fire growth, the Lassen County Sheriff’s office issued a “series of new evacuation orders through the day, most recently for the Janesville area west of Highway 395” [source].
“Current Red Flag conditions are creating extreme fire behavior on the Dixie Fire. Do not hesitate if told to evacuate.” – Cal Fire’s Lassen-Modoc Unit [source].
The list of evacuation orders remains primarily in Plumas County. Still, areas of both Lassen and Tehama counties are also under evacuation orders from local authorities. Even Butte County (the county most ravaged by 2018’s Camp Fire) is under a voluntary evacuation order.
PG&E’s Response To Conditions
Due to the gusty conditions throughout the fire-affected areas, PG&E issued a warning on Sunday saying it may blackout power to help prevent fire growth and preserve infrastructure. The blackouts, if they were to happen, would occur on Tuesday morning. As many as 48,000 homes and businesses could be affected throughout the Butte and Shasta county area. [source]
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Were you or your family affected by the Dixie Fire? If you lost property in the fire or were displaced, you may be entitled to compensation more than your insurance coverage. Our firm is dedicated to helping those affected by the Dixie Fire.