The US Forest Service is reaching its breaking point with historic wildfires ravaging large swaths of northern California and 13 other western states.
The agency is suffering “critical resources limitations,” deputy forester Anthony Scardina said Friday, with 21,000 federal firefighters battling the blazes, double the number needed at this time last year.
The Dixie Fire in burning near Taylorsville in Plumas County, Calif., on Aug. 13, 2021. AP Photo/Noah Berger
A crew of inmate firefighters near the location of the Dixie Fire in Chester, Calif. on Aug. 13, 2021. REUTERS/David SwansonMore than 6,100 firefighters are battling Dixie Fire in northern California alone, according to officials.
“Large fire activity continues in 14 states. 105 large fires or complexes have burned 2.4 million acres,” the National Interagency Fire Center tweeted this week. “Initial attack and large fire activity could increase in several areas due to hot, dry, windy conditions and the potential for lightning.”
Firefighters battle the Dixie Fire near Chester, Calif., on Aug. 13, 2021. REUTERS/David Swanson
The CA-89 highway blocked by a worker due to the Dixie Fire on Aug. 13, 2021. AP Photo/Eugene GarciaThe Dixie Fire has already consumed 537,776 acres, according to state authorities, and remains only 31 percent contained.
