LOS ANGELES, California — A firefighter has been killed battling the largest wildfire in Californian history that has been stoked by prime fire weather conditions as it has destroyed dozens of homes.

The unidentified firefighter was killed on Monday while battling the Ranch Fire, one of two blazes that make up the Mendocino Complex, which has already charred about 349,000 acres (141,200 hectares), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The Utah firefighter was airlifted to a hospital where he died, fire officials said during a news conference late on Monday.

“We are extremely heartbroken for this loss,” Mendocino Complex incident commander Sean Kavanaugh said, adding that officials will release more information as it becomes available.

The firefighter was the sixth person killed battling California’s intense wildfires this year, which have been some of the most destructive in more than a decade as they have forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

Meanwhile, senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration visited California on Monday to take stock of the situation Monday.

Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes over the past month, with more than a dozen fires still threatening land and property from south of Los Angeles up north to the border with Oregon.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke — wrapping up a two-day tour of the Carr Fire’s path to the west of Redding in northern California — met rescuers alongside Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Over the weekend, firefighters made progress on the inferno, which has destroyed more than 1,000 homes and other property, according to federal and local government data.

But the 206,816-acre (83,695-hectare) blaze is still less than two-thirds contained after killing eight people and prompting the evacuation of 40,000.

“Thanks to all #firefighters keeping the communities of Northern #California safe! The #CarrFire is devastating our #publiclands and it’s time we properly manage our forests,” Zinke tweeted.

He and Perdue were introduced to “smokejumpers” — elite firefighters who parachute into remote areas, risking their lives to perform the initial attacks on wildfires.

The temperatures have remained in double digits in recent days but emergency workers say they are bracing for hotter weather, dry air and gusty winds over the coming days.

“Important to remember that not only are they battling the flames, but they often are affected personally as well. We are grateful for their service and bravery,” Perdue tweeted after addressing emergency workers from various agencies at a lunch.

Zinke’s visit with Perdue came days after Trump suggested that California’s environmental policies had deprived firefighters of water and left too many trees that could fuel fires.

Some activists have acknowledged that many of the state’s forests are too dense and require more aggressive management, but Cal Fire officials have stated they have enough water.

Other experts have added that California’s most destructive blazes have started in shrublands, not thick forests, and that the devastating fire season has been lengthened by climate change.

Zinke angered activists by downplaying the importance of global warming in wildfire management as he began his California visit on Sunday.

“I’ve heard the climate change argument back and forth,” he said in an interview with television station KCRA 3.

“This has nothing to do with climate change. This has to do with active forest management.” — Agencies