Like a war zone: Largest wildfire in California destroys downtown Greenville

The Dixie Wildfire, the largest in California this year has destroyed downtown Greenville, reports on Wednesday night said. The state has been burning for three weeks as the fire has and spread across Plumas, Butte, Lassen and Tehama counties.

Swollen by one-dry vegetation and 40 mph (64 kph) gusts raged through Greenville, Sierra Nevada. “We lost Greenville tonight,” Rep Doug LaMalfa said in an emotional Facebook video. “There’s just no words.”

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The town, which dates to California’s Gold Rush era witnessed the demolition of several buildings. Photos and videos shared on social media suggest that the destruction was widespread. The blaze has already destroyed at least 67 structures, USA Today reported.

The Lassen Volcanic National Park, a 100,000-acre park about 130 miles north of Sacramento was closed. 

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 “The fire is moving so fast and so hot, it’s an extremely dangerous situation. It’s too early to tell how many acres have burned, park spokesman Kevin Sweeney said.

The Dixie fire is now the sixth-largest blaze in the state’s modern history. Firefighters engaged to put off another explosive run of flames on Thursday. 

The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement on Facebook saying, “You are in imminent danger and you MUST leave now!

“It sounds like a war zone out there,” resident Rhonda Reames told KXTV-TV in Sacramento. Reames said that she watched the fire sweep through trees and caused propane tanks to explode.