File:California Wildfires (MODIS 2018-08-08).jpg

English: In a year of record-breaking fires, California scored another record on August 7, 2018, when the Mendocino Complex burst into the history books as the largest fire in state history. This monster fire began as two fires, the River Fire and the Ranch Fire, which both ignited in Mendocino County on July 27. As each fire spread they were combined and managed as one fire, which, as of August 7, has now scorched 290,692 acres and is only 34 % contained. Almost 4,000 fire personnel are fighting this massive fire, which has already consumed 75 homes and 68 other structures. High temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds coupled with critically low fuel moisture are contributing to rapid fire growth. Evacuations have been ordered for parts of Mendocino, Lake, and Colusa counties.

Although the Mendocino Complex is the largest fire, it is far from the only fire. At least sixteen major fires are reported burning across the state. This includes the Carr Fire, in Shasta and Trinity counties north of the Mendocino Complex. Ignited by a malfunctioning vehicle on July 23, the Carr Fire has consumed 167,113 acres and was 47% contained as of August 7. More than 1,000 residences, 22 commercial structures, and 500 outbuildings have been destroyed so far.

Another massive fire, the Ferguson Fire, began on July 13 near Yosemite National Park. It, too, is a record-breaker, holding the status of the largest fire in the Sierra National Forest’s history, with 94,331 acres burnt as of August 7. The Ferguson Fire is only 43% contained and has been responsible for 11 injuries and two fatalities.

A newcomer, the Donnell Fire, ignited on August 1 north of the Ferguson Fire from an unknown cause. In less than a week the fire has spread to 13,200 acres and is only 2% contained with 410 firefighters working the fire. This fire is burning along the north bank of the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River in steep and inaccessible terrain with heavy standing dead and downed timber. It has been reported that 235 structures have been destroyed and 1,120 structures threatened.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of fires in northern California on August 5. From north to south the fires include the Carr Fire, the Mendocino Complex, the Donnell Fire, and the Ferguson Fire. The larger fires appear as a ring of red hotspots. As fire spreads outward from the center, fuel is consumed centrally. This leaves a scorched area with no active flame and active flame on the edge where fuel exists.