When there are two or more wildfires burning close together in the same area, they are often called a “complex” and attacked by firefighters under a unified command. In the summer of 2020, a siege of dry lightning strikes sparked about 40 fires in three national forests in northwestern California.

Why is it called a complex fire?

But many are calling the Dixie Fire the state’s largest wildfire because the August Complex was a “complex fire,” meaning it was made up of multiple fires. There were 38 separate fires started by lightning strikes. The Dixie Fire is a single fire.

What does it mean to have a fire contained?

Containing a wildfire means that a fuel break, which may include natural barriers or a manually and/or a mechanically constructed line, around the fire has been completed, according to the National Park Service. … Bulldozer operators also assist in working to containing fires.