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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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While firefighters have made progress in dousing the Wolf fire burning south of Interstate 10 in Riverside County, the fire has now passed 2,400 acres in size.
Newsweek has contacted the Riverside County Fire Department for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Deadly wildfires battered Southern California in January—with the Palisades and Eaton fires killing dozens, scorching thousands of acres, destroying thousands of buildings and prompting mass evacuations.
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New fires have recently ignited in Southern California, the largest of which is the Wolf fire.
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What to Know
The Wolf fire began on Sunday in Riverside County and quickly grew into the largest wildfire currently burning in California.
As of 7:50 a.m. Pacific time, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported, the Wolf fire had surpassed 2,400 acres in size. On Monday, it was about 1,400 acres.
Firefighters have reached 35 percent containment of the blaze, Cal Fire said.
The agency has issued dozens of evacuation orders and warnings, urging people to leave immediately amid life-threatening wildfire conditions. Three firefighters were injured battling the flames, but no fatalities have been reported and no structures have been damaged, according to the latest update.
Weather conditions are expected to be favorable to firefighters in Southern California on Tuesday night, but red flag warnings remain in place elsewhere in the state and nearby.
Red flag warnings, in which critical fire weather is either occurring or imminent, are in place in Utah, Northern California, Nevada and Oregon.
Several other wildfires are burning in California—including the Juniper and Mindy fires in Riverside County; the Lake and Cable fires in San Bernardino County; the Sims fire in Lassen County; the Kenyon fire in Shasta County; the Quarry fire in San Joaquin County; the Perch fire in Siskiyou County; and the Marysville fire in Yuba County.
All but the Wolf fire are smaller than 1,000 acres in size, and many of the fires are smaller than 100 acres in size.
Air quality alerts are in place across parts of Southern California because of the smoke from the wildfires.
What People Are Saying
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in its most recent update: "Firefighters continued to aggressively attack the fire from the air and the ground. Steep, rugged terrain, high temperatures and wind remain challenging factors for firefighters. Cooler temperatures tonight, with higher humidity will assist firefighters in constructing and strengthening containment lines."
A red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, said: "Lightning can create new fire starts and may combine with gusty outflow winds to cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity."
What Happens Next
Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place. Residents in affected areas should monitor their local news and fire authorities for the most up-to-date conditions and follow official safety advice.
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