(TNS) - A monster fire the likes of which has never been seen before in California has emerged out of the dystopian pall of wildfire and smoke that has blanketed the state.

The August Complex wildfire, which started out as 37 different fires in Mendocino National Forest, surpassed 1 million acres Monday, by far the largest conflagration in recorded state history, and it is still burning.

The ignominious milestone comes during a year that has already seen more flames than ever in the state. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, at least 31 people have been killed and choking smoke has darkened the skies from Eureka to San Diego.

The fire, which was 54% contained as of Monday morning, is now burning in Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake and Colusa counties. It has been whipped up over the last month by strong winds, relentless heat and dry vegetation. Strong winds are now threatening to push the fire north into the South Fork Trinity River drainage, prompting Trinity County officials to issue evacuation orders and warnings in several mountainous communities.

How did the August fire get so big and why? The U.S. Forest Service provided the following timeline:

• The wildfire began when thunderstorms pounded the area between Aug. 18 and Aug. 20. The lightning ignited 37 different fires, many of which were contained quickly, but several of them merged to form larger wildfires.
• By Aug. 20, there were at least 20 fires, ranging in size from a tenth of an acre to 1,400 acres. That’s when the strong winds began. Gusts of up to 25 mph pushed the fires to the lower elevations, according to Cal Fire. The complex of fires, which included the Doe, Glade, Tatham, Hopkins and Hull fires, quickly grew to 65,030 acres.

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