A huge fire that has been raging in California in recent days and which has already burned 770,000 acres of vegetation has become so large that it has created its own climate, a fact that is expected to make the work of firefighters even more difficult.
5,400 firefighters have been mobilized to fight the Dixie fire in the forests of northern California.
This fire has been growing since mid-July, due to very high temperatures, drought and strong winds.
The Dixie fire is so big that in the last few days it has created a cloud called a firebox, which causes strong winds and lightning, which in turn amplify the flames.
“Tomorrow will probably be very difficult: if these clouds are high enough, they could cause lightning,” warned meteorologist Julia Ruthford.
Firefighters even from Florida have mobilized to help put out the blaze.
Despite its size, the Dixie fire has so far spread to isolated areas so there has not been much damage to homes and other buildings.
Fires in California are so frequent that residents of the state often wonder what is left to burn. But due to climate change, this summer was particularly hot and dry.
Fires in California this year have already burned three times as much vegetation as they did last year, although 2020 was the worst year in the state's history in terms of fires.
According to a preliminary investigation, the fall of a tree on a power line caused the fire Dixie. These power lines belong to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), a private company responsible for the Camp fire, which in 2018 almost completely destroyed the city of Paradise and killed 86 people a few kilometers away from where the Dixie fire broke out.
