California fire explodes in size, is now largest in state history
By Madison Park, CNN
Updated 6:01 PM EDT, Tue August 7, 2018
Mendocino Fire is largest in California history
Catastrophic wildfires continue to ravage California, as one blaze nearly doubled in size over the last three days, making it the largest in the state's history.
No one has been injured in the Mendocino Complex Fire, which consists of two fires – the Ranch Fire and the River Fire – burning around Clear Lake, in several counties in Northern California.
Mendocino Complex Current Evacuation Map as of 8.5.18 / 9:11 a.m. #mendocinocomplex @MendoSheriff @lakecosheriffCA @mendocinonf @glenncountyoes pic.twitter.com/6oqZUcVGI4
— CAL FIRE Mendocino (@CALFIRE_MEU) August 5, 2018
Combined, they form the biggest blaze that California firefighters are currently battling. Altogether, the Mendocino Complex Fire has burned 283,800 acres – growing about 80% since Friday night. As of Monday evening, it was 30% contained and had destroyed 75 residences.
The Mendocino Complex Fire has now surpassed last year's Thomas Fire, which burned 281,893 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, as the largest fire in Cal Fire history.
Exhausted firefighters across the state are trying to contain 16 major fires that are burning in hot, dry and windy conditions.
On Monday, another fast-moving fire ignited in the state – this time in Orange County, where firefighters battled the Holy Fire that expanded to more than 4,000 acres. That fire started in the Cleveland National Forest and evacuations in the nearby areas have been ordered, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Trump blames California's 'bad environmental laws'
In Northern California's Shasta County, the devastating Carr Fire claimed its seventh victim Saturday when a Pacific Gas & Electric worker died while working with a crew to restore power, utility spokesman J.D. Guidi said.
A house burns at the Mendocino Complex fire near Finley, California on July 30, 2018. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned close to 200,000 acres into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and killed eight fire personnel and civilians in the most populous US state. The worst blaze, northern California's Carr Fire, has killed six people since Thursday, including a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren aged four and five. They perished when flames swallowed their home in Redding. / AFP PHOTO / JOSH EDELSONJOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images
Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
A flat tire started the deadly Carr Fire and days of devastation
Over the weekend, the White House approved a disaster declaration for Shasta County, allowing affected residents from the Carr Fire to apply for federal disaster assistance such as temporary housing, home repairs and other programs.
At the same time, President Donald Trump blamed the state's environmental laws for the wildfires.
"California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren't allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized," he tweeted Sunday. "It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!"
It wasn't immediately clear what California laws Trump was referring to. Henri Grissino-Mayer, a geography professor at the University of Tennessee, said he had "no clue" what Trump was referring to in his tweet.
"California does NOT divert water to the ocean," he told CNN in an email. "Ridiculous. It's true that water is diverted to the coastal cities for a constant water supply but all such water is used by the coastal communities."
Shelley Hoskison
Fire claims lives of great-grandmother, two children and firefighters
More than 14,000 firefighters are battling the wildfires across California.
"Battling these relentless fires requires a Herculean effort," California Gov. Jerry Brown had written in his request to Trump for a presidential major disaster declaration.
Fire crews from Australia and New Zealand arrived in California to help. They came to Redding, on Monday, according to the US Forest Service-Pacific Southwest Region.
Australia and New Zealand Firefighters arriving in Redding have mobilized through a longstanding partnership with the USDA Forest Service to ensure adequate numbers of experienced fire managers are available to suppress large fires. #CarrFire #MendocinoComplexFires #MutualAid pic.twitter.com/oovrIGY3v2
— USFS Fire-California (@R5_Fire_News) August 6, 2018
Parts of Redding were damaged by the Carr Fire, which has burned more than 164,413 acres. The fire was 47% contained as of late Monday, according to Cal Fire.
The Carr Fire, now in its third week, is the sixth most destructive in the state's history, having destroyed more than 1,600 structures, according to Cal Fire.
Parts of Yosemite National Park closed indefinitely
Another major fire also burning in Northern California, the Ferguson Fire, extended into its third week.
This fire has killed two people and injured 11 others. And it prompted the indefinite closure of some of the most popular parts of Yosemite National Park, officials announced on Sunday.
A fire transport drives along Highway 140, one of the entrances to Yosemite National Park, on Monday, July 16, 2018, in Mariposa, Calif. The road remains closed as crews battle a deadly wildfire burning near the west end of Yosemite National Park. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Noah Berger/AP
Yosemite National Park closes some areas due to fire
"Over the past 48 hours, fire has impacted all of the roads used to access Yosemite Valley, burning dead and downed trees that can become very explosive and fall without warning," according to the National Park Service.
Yosemite Valley is home to some of the most famous destinations of the park.
"There are also significant terrain hazards for firefighters. These hazards, along with extreme fire behavior and frequent weather changes, have made this an extremely difficult fire fight," according to the NPS statement.
The Ferguson Fire started on July 13. Of the 94,331 acres burned, firefighters have contained 39%, according to authorities.
CNN's Brandon Miller, Artemis Moshtaghian, Susannah Cullinane and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.