Two wildfires blazing in California, known as the Mendocino Complex fire, have become the second-largest in state history, officials revealed Monday.
The fire, present in Colusa, Lake and Mendocino counties, has burned almost 274,000 acres as of Monday afternoon and has destroyed 143 structures, including 75 homes, according to CalFire’s list of the state’s largest wildfires. More than 9,000 structures remain under threat.
The Northern California fires are burning a few miles apart and have been ablaze since July 27, officials said. The fires are likely to surpass December 2017’s Thomas fire — the state’s largest wildfire on record — which burned 140 square miles and killed two people.
Hotter weather attributed to climate change is drying out vegetation, creating more intense fires that spread quickly from rural areas to city subdivisions, climate and fire experts say. But they also blame cities and towns that are expanding housing into previously undeveloped areas.
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