VIDEO/PHOTOS: This week marks four years since the Dixie Fire ignited in Butte County, rapidly escalating into the largest single-source wildfire in California history and the second-largest wildfire overall, following the August Complex Fire of 2020. The fire ravaged five Northstate countiesโButte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehamaโscorching nearly a million acres and obliterating the town of Greenville. The devastating blaze destroyed over 1,300 residential, commercial, and other structures and tragically claimed the life of one firefighter. The cost to suppress the fire exceeded $637 million.
The Dixie Fire reshaped fire policy, raised questions about utility oversight and left a lasting mark on the regionโs landscape and its residents. PG&E faced multiple lawsuits and fines after it was determined a tree fell on power lines owned by the utility, sparking the inferno. In 2023, several counties and other public agencies from across the burn zone announced a settlement of $24 millionwith the company for the recovery of public resources from damages incurred by the fire. PG&E also faced multiple manslaughter charges from deaths related to fires caused by their equipment.
