Mapping the Mendocino Complex Fire

California’s Mendocino Complex Fire has become the largest California wildfire in recorded history, surpassing last year’s Thomas Fire on Aug. 6. The fire is made up of two separate blazes — the Ranch Fire and the River Fire — that together have burned more than 350,000 acres, larger than the city of Los Angeles. This surpasses last year's Thomas Fire that burned 282,000 acres of land.

Despite its reach, the Mendocino Complex has destroyed fewer than 200 structures. The recent Carr Fire has destroyed more than 1,500 and burned 207,162 acres since July 23.

As of Aug. 14, the fire was 68 percent contained. Firefighters expect the Mendocino fire will be fully contained by Sept. 1.

Evacuation orders remain in place for counties surrounding the fire, and no deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

More than a dozen wildfires are blazing in California and more than 14,000 personnel are fighting the wildfires across the state. The ongoing Carr wildfire has become the eighth largest fire in California’s recorded history. It is 65 percent contained. So far this year, more than 750,000 acres have burned in California because of wildfires.

August's temperatures continue to reach triple digits in California, helping to fuel more fires during the heat wave. Along with the heat, winds blowing across large swaths of dry vegetation and timber cause the fire to spread in multiple directions, destroying homes and buildings and threatening nearby communities.

The Mendocino Complex started slower than the Thomas Fire but grew to overtake the 2017 blaze and reach 300,000 acres in less than two weeks. The Thomas Fire burned for 39 days but didn’t see significant growth after the two-week mark.

The wildfire season is not expected to let up anytime soon. Thousands of square miles of dead brush, shrubs and heavy timber, along with unfavorable weather, will keep the wildfire potential above normal through the fall, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s seasonal outlook.