California wildfire: largest fire EVER to burn for rest of August — experts blame climate

Officials said on Tuesday that they expect the Mendocino Complex fire, the biggest blaze in California’s history, to carry on burning for the rest of the month.

The fire, which has doubled in size in the past three days, has now burnt more than 290,000 acres.

That’s nearly six times the size of the Queen’s Balmoral estate in Scotland. 

It’s also more than the 282,000 acres which Thomas fire burnt last year. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection less than a third of the fire is currently under control.

Authorities had wanted to get the fire extinguished by mid-August, but now admit they will need at least until the beginning of September.

However they are still expecting the fire to be contained by August 15.

The Mendocino Complex fire is made up of two separate, but interconnected blazes, called the ranch fire and river fire. Carr fire in pictures: California wildfire continues to grow Wed, August 1, 2018

Six people have died in the massive fire, which has burned over 100,000 acres and forced thousands to evacuate since it began on July 23 Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 37 Firefighters try to control a back burn as the Carr fire continues to spread Whilst it has largely hit a rural area 75 buildings have been destroyed.

A total of 18 major wildfires are currently being burnt across California.

They are being fought by 14,000 firefighters as well as military personnel and volunteer prisoners being paid $1 (£0.7) an hour.

It comes during an intensifying debate as to what has made the fires so bad. On Monday President Trump controversially blamed environmental laws which he claimed were stopping water getting to the fires.

He tweeted: “California wildfires are being magnified and made so much worse by the had environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilised.”

Meanwhile Scott McLean, a California fire deputy, blamed a combination of drought and heavy rain two years ago which led to a rush of grass growth.

He told The San Antonio Express News that the rains: “exacerbated the problem by promoting growth. Our grass growth has been very significant in recent years and that has added fuel to these fires.” Jon Keeley, a fire scientist from the US Geographical Surgery, said that more people living in high risk areas in recent years has made it harder for the authorities to fight fires.

He argued: “This is a people problem.

“What’s changed is not the fires but the fact that we have more and more people at risk.”

Others are blaming climate change. Scott Stephens, professor of fire science at the University of California, told the New York Times: “Things are happening here in California that 10 years ago I never heard about.

“Many times now in the evening fires are burning at night almost as active as they are in the day.”

The Union of Concerned Scientists claimed: “Highet spring and summer temperatures…are increasing the likelihood of drought and a longer wildfire season.

“These hot try conditional also increase the likelihood that wildfires will be more intense and long-burning once they are started by lightning strikes or human error.”