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Wildfires have scorched more than one million acres in California so far

Sarah Al-Arshani   

Wildfires have scorched more than one million acres in California so far
  • More than 1.1 million acres have been destroyed by wildfires in California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
  • The total acres burned is larger than the size of Rhode Island.
  • The state is also experiencing two of the three largest fires in its history.

Raging wildfires in California are consuming land at an alarming pace.

More than one million acres have burned across the state as of Monday. The two biggest fires: the SCU Lightning Complex fire and the LNU Lightning Complex fire, are tearing through five counties south of San Francisco and another five counties north of the city by the bay.

And as the flames sear the landscape, firefighting resources are stretched thin on every front. "Foundationally and fundamentally we're at a point every resource at our disposal, every resource that we have within the state, is being used," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference on Monday.

Most of Northern California is still under a "red flag warning" until Tuesday morning.

Business Insider previously reported that at least seven people have died as a result of the fires.

The LNU Lightning Complex Fire is the second-largest in the state's history and has burned over 350,000 acres, injured two emergency workers and two civilians, destroyed at least 870 buildings, and damaged over 230 buildings, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The SCU Lightning Complex Fire began on August 18 and has grown to the third-largest in the state's history and has already destroyed nearly 350,000 acres.

Dry lightning strikes have sparked many of the wildfires burning throughout the state.

According to NPR, the wildfires have subjected over 250,000 people to evacuation orders and warnings.

"You could overlay half of one of these fires and it covers the entire city of San Francisco," Cal Fire spokesman Brice Bennett said according to NPR.

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