Massive California wildfire scorches record 1mn acres

San Francisco, Oct 6 : The August Complex wildfire, which started out as 37 different fires in California’s Mendocino National Forest and still raging, has so far scorched a record 1 million acres of land in the US state.
In its latest update, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said that as of Monday the blaze has been 54 per cent, reports the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.
The blaze is currently raging across the counties of burning in Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake and Colusa.
Strong winds in the region were now threatening to push the fire north into the South Fork Trinity River drainage, prompting Trinity County officials to issue evacuation orders and warnings in several mountainous communities.
The August Complex wildfire began when thunderstorms pounded the area between August 18-20.
Thirty-seven different fires were triggered by lightning, While many were contained, several others went on to merge and become one massive blaze.