Mosquito fire surpasses 63,000 acres to become largest blaze in California this year
Cattle graze on a fire-swept cattle ranch in Redding, California, on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2019. California officials issued their fifth mandatory evacuation order, and there are fears that tens of thousands of people could be forced from their homes during the upcoming wildfire season. (David McNew / The Press-Enterprise via AP, File) less Cattle graze on a fire-swept cattle ranch in Redding, California, on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2019. California officials issued their fifth mandatory evacuation order, and there are fears that tens of thousands of people could… more Photo: David McNew / The Press-Enterprise via AP Photo: David McNew / The Press-Enterprise via AP Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close Mosque fire surpasses 63,000 acres to become largest blaze in California this year 1 / 50 Back to Gallery
On Sunday, the firestorm that’s burning in Northern California swept through Redding, Calif.
It destroyed about half of the city, forced the closure of at least 10 schools, and forced tens of thousands of people to flee.
The blaze that forced the evacuations was a mix of embers and ash from wildfires that swept through Northern California last month, the largest of them being the Camp Fire to the south. The firestorm was a bit more fierce than a typical wildfire, but still contained by the time it came through the city.
This being California, more than 60,000 acres remained unburned Sunday — the largest area burned so far in the state since the Tubbs Fire in 2017.
RELATED: This California wildfire is bigger than the Camp fires of 2017 and 2018 in size
This is the first time since the Camp Fire last month that a major wildfire has burned more than 60,000 acres in California.
The Camp Fire, which began on Nov. 8, scorched nearly 20,000 square miles of land, about the size of the state of South Carolina. It destroyed at least 143 structures and killed 85 people. The Tubbs Fire, the most destructive wildfire in California since the 2013 Woolsey Fire, has burned almost 14,000 square miles, and claimed at least 27 lives.
The Camp