Thousands of Firefighters Battle Growing Dixie Fire

More than 5,100 personnel worked to contain the Dixie fire burning across Butte and Plumas counties in Northern California after it merged with the Fly fire.

Footage released by Cal Fire on Monday shows planes dropping retardant on July 26. “Lead planes are used to ensure accuracy of retardant lines,” Cal Fire wrote, explaining the smaller aircraft preceding the firefighting plane.

As of Tuesday morning, the fire had grown to 208,206 acres (about 325 square miles) and was 23 percent contained, fire officials said. Credit: Cal Fire/Butte County via Storyful