Aug. 15 -- The largest wildfire burning in California continued to expand Wednesday, causing firefighters to lose ground in containing the blaze that’s scorched three counties, officials said.
The Mendocino Complex, made up of the Ranch and River fires, grew by nearly 10,000 acres overnight to 363,845 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
The blaze was 64 percent contained compared to 68 percent contained the previous day.
The River Fire, the smaller of the two conflagrations, was fully contained Tuesday at 48,920 acres.
But the Ranch Fire continues to be fueled by dry vegetation and hot weather as it threatens communities surrounding the Mendocino National Forest, Cal Fire said. The Ranch Fire has alone burned 314,925 acres.
Bulldozer operators worked overnight to create control lines and strengthen existing containment lines, officials said.
Crews also worked to protect the 1,025 structures that were threatened by the flames. So far, a total of 265 structures have been destroyed.
On Wednesday, the focus for firefighters was to attack the northwest and northeast edges of the blaze to prevent it from getting it closer to Lake Pillsbury, Cal Fire said.
The first fatality in the relentless fire occurred Monday, when 42-year-old Matthew Burchett, of Utah, was killed while battling the flames on the front lines.
A procession for Burchett is being held 2:30 p.m. Wednesday from Ukiah to Salt Lake City, which will include a flight from Sonoma County.
Burchett was the sixth firefighter to die battling wildfires in California this year, making 2018 the deadliest fire season for firefighters in the past decade. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances that led to his death.
Meanwhile, the Carr Fire in Shasta County remained relatively calm overnight and barely grew more than 19 acres overnight, Cal Fire said.
In total, the blaze has consumed 211,038 acres and was 67 percent contained.
Firefighters on Wednesday continued focusing their effort on strengthening containment despite the same challenges that have plagued crews throughout the state — gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.
Similarly, the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite Valley remained calm just a day after the park reopened to visitors.
The blaze burned 96,810 acres — just 204 acres more than the previous day — and was 87 percent, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Though Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Mariposa Grove were reopened, Glacier Point was still closed due to the blaze.
The fire is expected to be contained Aug. 22.
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