Dixie fire is threatening 10K structures

The Dixie fire in Northern California has burned more than 40 structures and threatens another 10,700.

The massive wildfire has destroyed 240,000 acres across mostly Plumas and Butte counties, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It’s now the 13th largest wildfire in California history by acreage burned, and is only 23 percent contained.

Wildfires burned 8,000 structures and 4 million acres across California last year, a record for acreage burned in a year.

Five of the six largest wildfires in state history ignited last year, including the largest ever by far, the August Complex fire.

Homeowners’ insurance premiums have been on the rise in fire-prone areas of California and some insurers have pulled out of at-risk areas altogether. The state has stopped insurers from dropping policies in some areas in recent years. In November, the state barred insurance companies from canceling around 2.1 million policies in 21 counties.

The Dixie fire has prompted local officials to issue mandatory evacuations in large chunks of Plumas, Butte, and Tehama counties. Residents in nearby Lassen County are on high alert.

[LAT] —Dennis Lynch