Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Embers smoulder along a hillside after the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, burned though the area near Clearlake Oaks, California, on August 5, 2018. Credit: Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images
The Mendocino Fire Complex, which is comprised of two separate fires burning in close proximity in Lake and Mendocino Counties, has become the state's largest wildfire on record.
The details: The Mendocino Complex was just 34% contained as of Tuesday morning, and it's likely that it will continue to expand as a heat wave and extremely dry conditions remain in place through the week. The Mendocino Complex is about 19 times the size of Manhattan, and about 1.25 times the the size of Dallas.
The big picture: At 290,692 acres, the Mendocino Complex has eclipsed last year's Thomas Fire, which set the record at 281,000 acres.
- Although President Trump has repeatedly blamed state water allocations for the severity of the fires, experts say that a combination of decades of fire suppression policies combined with expanded development in fire-prone areas, along with climate change, is making wildfires burn hotter, longer and grow larger in California.
- It's especially noteworthy that the Mendocino Complex has set the record outside of the typical peak of the wildfire season in California, which occurs in October and November, before winter rains arrive.
- Likewise, the Thomas Fire burned during the winter last year, which was also outside the historical norm.
- Fourteen of the top 20 fires in California history have occurred in the last 10 years.
The bottom line: Although climate change does not "cause" a specific fire, study after study has shown that global warming is already making the West's wildfire challenges much worse, by lengthening fire seasons and raising the odds of more days with extreme fire danger. As the climate continues to warm, extreme heat events and drought are increasingly likely in the West, making wildfire conditions even more dangerous.
Go deeper: