Firefighters are making progress in their long battles against the massive wildfires continuing to scorch Northern California.
Rain in the Lake Almanor area and overall quiet weather helped crews keep the 960,000 acre Dixie Fire from spreading further into the Grizzly Peak area on Monday. Weather is expected to become hotter and drier as the week goes on. The blaze, which has burned for two months and is the second biggest in state history, is now 75% contained.
The other massive inferno ravaging the Sacramento Valley, the nearly 220,000 acre Caldor Fire, is now 68% contained, up slightly from Monday night. With warm weather, low humidity and increasing southwest winds expected this week, crews are working to strengthen control lines. Officials expect full containment of the 15th largest wildfire in California history by September 27.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Mendocino County are advancing against the Hopkins Fire, which has charred nearly 300 acres in Calpella, a town about six miles north of Ukiah near the Russian River, since it broke out Sunday afternoon. Lower temperatures and higher humidity allowed crews to build containment up to 30%.
Finally, the Bridge Fire is 99% contained after torching 411 acres in Placer County. Firefighters expect the blaze, which sparked under the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn on September 5, to be fully contained by 6 p.m. Wednesday.
During his visit to Northern California on Monday, President Biden surveyed some of the damage inflicted by the wildfires and said the blazes have "been supercharged" by climate change.
