California firefighters use break in weather to attack wildfires

California firefighting crews sought to take advantage of cooler, moister air and diminished winds on Friday to make headway against a massive wildfire that has already destroyed a historic gold-rush town. The so-called Dixie Fire, which broke out on July 14 in the Sierra Nevada mountains some 160 miles (257.5 km) north of Sacramento, had burned across 432,813 acres (175,153 hectares) as of Friday afternoon, becoming one of the largest wildfires in state history. California, which typically experiences peak fire season later in the year, was on pace to suffer more burnt acreage this year than last, the worst fire season on record.