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Fueled by winds, wildfire moves near California city

Western Wildfires
Posted at 8:43 PM, Aug 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-17 20:43:01-04

GRIZZLY FLATS, Calif.— Firefighters are facing dangerously windy weather as they struggle to keep the nation's largest wildfire from moving toward a Northern California town.

Forecasters have issued red flag warnings of critical fire conditions for most of Tuesday in the area of the month-old Dixie Fire.

Authorities say the fire is only about eight miles from Susanville, home to about 18,000 people. It's already burned more than 600,000 acres, according to Cal Fire, which estimates containment at 31%.

The Dixie Fire isn't the only blaze terrorizing California.

To the south, the Caldor Fire left few homes standing in the town of Grizzly Flats, which has a population of about 1,200.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the fire also destroyed an elementary school and a church.

Two people were injured by the fire and needed to be airlifted to hospitals, the Sacramento Bee reports.