6:50 a.m. PDT August 12, 2021

An inversion remained over the Dixie Fire southwest of Susanville, California Wednesday and Wednesday night trapping the smoke and reducing visibility, but the blaze was still moderately active. Late in the afternoon fire in the Wilcox Valley 12 miles northeast of Greenville intensified, sending up a smoke column that broke through the inversion. The smoke above the inversion was then transported off to the northwest by upper level winds. Warm temperatures Wednesday night and minimal humidity recovery allowed the the fire to continue to spread.

A mapping flight late Wednesday night found that the fire had grown to 510,000 acres.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

In an update, the Incident Management Team said in areas where the fire has been stopped the large fuels on the ground, such as logs and stumps, will require a significant amount of resources to mop up due to the volume of fuels and the steep, rugged terrain.

Aircraft initially working the fire Thursday morning will include 1 Very Large Air Tanker (DC-10), 2 Large Air Tankers, 2 Super Scoopers, 1 Lead Plane, 1 Air Attack aircraft, and approximately 20 helicopters.

Wednesday evening there were 6,133 personnel assigned to the incident, with 511 fire engines, 175 water tenders, 20 helicopters, 81 hand crews, and 198 dozers. The estimated suppression costs to date are $217 million. Nationwide there are over 25,000 personnel committed to wildland fires.

There is a chance Thursday for thunderstorms bringing very little rain with temperatures in the mid 90s to lower 100s and relative humidity in the lower teens. Winds will generally be out of the southwest in the afternoon with the exception of outflows generated by thunderstorms. The rest of the week should bring rising temperatures and dry conditions. Sustained southwest winds are expected to push the fire to the north and northeast.