California’s Mendocino Complex fires, already the largest in California’s history, burned another 6,900 acres overnight. And firefighters lost ground against the bigger of the two, indicating the destruction is nowhere near complete.
To put that in perspective, think of Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, and Animal Kingdom parks. Multiply the entire square footage from those popular attractions by eight. It still falls short of the overnight damages from the Ranch Fire and River Fire, which constitute the complex fires.
The Ranch fire is now 20% contained, a bit less than the 21% containment reported by Cal Fire Monday night. No additional homes were destroyed by the fire.
The news is much better with the River Fire. That blaze is now 78% contained, up from 58% Monday night. As that fire is put under control, firefighter resources can shift their attention to the Ranch Fire.
All totaled, the Mendocino Complex fires have consumed 290,062 acres—an area that’s just shy of the size of Los Angeles. Officials say they expect to have them fully contained by Sept. 1, though that’s a two-week extension from Monday’s estimate.
(You can track the California fires with Google’s Fire Map.)
The fires are well north of a big population center, but they’re still impacting people’s lives. Sacramento has warned residents to limit their outdoor activity, as air quality in the city has hit unhealthy levels due to smoke and soot from the fires.
