Milder temperatures help firefighters
gain on massive California wildfire
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[August 08, 2018]
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Firefighting
crews in California took advantage of mild temperatures early on
Wednesday to make progress in their battle to contain California's
largest ever wildfire which has swelled to almost the size of Los
Angeles.
Some 4,000 firefighters fought to prevent the Mendocino Complex from
reaching communities like Nice, Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks at the
southern tip of the Mendocino National Forest, the California Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.
The Mendocino Complex is one of 17 major fires burning in California
which, fanned by hot, windy conditions, have killed seven people,
destroyed over 1,500 structures and displaced tens of thousands of
people in the past month.
"Tonight fire crews will continue to take advantage of the lower
temperatures to increase containment lines," the agency said in an
advisory as the temperatures in the area remained near 60 degrees
Fahrenheit (15 °C).
Milder temperatures than expected on Tuesday allowed crews to carve
containment lines around 34 percent of the wildfire, which became the
largest in Californi history on Monday when two large conflagrations
merged into one, according to Cal Fire.
The blaze, which was about 293,000 acres (118,573 hectares) as of late
Tuesday, has surpassed the Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres in
Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in southern California last December,
destroying more than 1,000 structures.
Two firefighters have been injured battling the Mendocino Complex. The
blaze has burned 75 homes and forced the evacuation of more than 23,000
people.
In the last couple of days, President Donald Trump said California was
letting water run into the ocean instead of using it to fight blazes and
blamed California's environmental policies for worsening the fires.
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A satellite image shows the River fire at the Mendocino Complex
wildfire in California, U.S., August 6, 2018. Satellite image
©2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company/Handout via REUTERS
The comments baffled California firefighters, who said they had more
than enough water to douse the flames.
Climate change is widely blamed for higher temperatures that have
fueled wildfires in California, and as far afield as Portugal,
Sweden and Siberia.
The fires are on track to be the most destructive in a decade,
prompting Governor Jerry Brown and Republican leaders such as state
Senator Ted Gaines to call for thinning and controlled burns of
forests to reduce fire danger - moves opposed by environmentalists
who say they kill wildlife.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Raissa
Kasolowsky)
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