Fire-friendly weather returns as second largest blaze in California history burns

Dixie fire grew to an area of 765 sq miles by Sunday evening and was just 21% contained

Firefighters battling the second largest wildfire in California history faced a return of fire-friendly weather, as the thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures from the scenic forestlands picked up.

The changing weather conditions near the Dixie fire, which is burning the state's far north, concerned firefighters working in unprecedented conditions to protect thousands of threatened homes in rural communities of the Sierra Nevada.