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2020 California wildfires

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2020 California wildfires
California on fire ESA22177856.jpeg
An August 19, 2020 satellite image of the wildfires burning in Northern California, covering a significant portion of California and nearby states.
Statistics[1]
Total fires7,448
Total area1,848,311 acres (747,985 ha)
Cost>$769.61 million (2020 USD)[2]
Buildings destroyed3,749
Deaths9
Non-fatal injuries34
Season
← 2019
2021 →
Aurora Fire

The 2020 California wildfire season is a series of ongoing wildfires that are burning across the state of California. The peak of the wildfire season usually occurs between July and November when hot, dry winds are most frequent. The wildfire season typically does not end until the first significant rainstorm of winter arrives, which is usually around October in Northern California, and roughly between early November to December in Southern California. As of September 4, 2020, a total of 7,448 fires have burned 1,848,311 acres (747,985 ha), making this the second-largest wildfire season in California history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.[1]

On August 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom reported that the state was battling 367 known fires, many sparked by intense thunderstorms on August 16–17 caused by moisture from Tropical Storm Fausto. Response and evacuations were complicated by a historic heatwave and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The governor declared a state of emergency on August 18.[3]

Early outlook[edit]

Early in the year, there was a concern for the potential 2020 fire season to be prolonged and especially grave due to the unusually dry months of January and February which were recorded as one of the driest first two months of any calendar year on record.[4] On March 22, a state of emergency was declared by California governor Gavin Newsom due to a mass die-off of trees throughout the state, potentially increasing the risk of wildfires.[5] Throughout March and April, rain began to consistently fall in the state which lessened the severe drying conditions. However, Northern California was expected to have severe wildfire conditions due to the moderate or severe drought conditions in the area, whereas Central and Southern California were expected to have serious fire conditions later in the year due to the late wet season and precipitation.[6]

Wildfires[edit]

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment dateNoteshideRef
Interstate 5Kings2,060May 3May 7[7]
RangeSan Luis Obispo5,000May 27May 28[8]
ScorpionSanta Barbara1,395May 31June 1[9]
QuailSolano1,837June 6June 103 structures destroyed[10][11]
WoodSan Diego11,000June 8June 12Burned on Camp Pendleton[12]
IndiaSan Diego1,100June 8June 14Burned on Camp Pendleton[13]
SodaSan Luis Obispo1,672June 10June 112 structures destroyed[14][15]
GrantSacramento5,042June 12June 17[16]
WalkerCalaveras1,455June 16June 202 structures destroyed[17]
RiverSan Luis Obispo15June 22June 232 structures destroyed, 9 damaged[18]
GradeTulare1,050June 22June 26[19]
PassMerced2,192June 28June 30[20]
BenaKern2,900July 1July 3[21]
CrewsSanta Clara5,513July 5July 131 structure destroyed; 1 damaged; 1 injury. Resulted in evacuations of rural Gilroy.[22]
SoledadLos Angeles1,525July 5July 151 injury[23]
MineralFresno29,667July 13July 267 structures destroyed[24] [25]
CoyoteSan Benito1,508July 15July 18[26]
HogLassen9,564July 18August 82 structures destroyed[27]
GoldLassen22,634July 20August 813 structures destroyed; 5 structures damaged; 2 firefighters injured in burnover[28]
July Complex 2020Modoc, Siskiyou83,261July 22August 71 structure destroyed; 3 outbuildings destroyed[29]
Red Salmon ComplexHumboldt, Siskiyou, Trinity32,180July 2630% Contained as of September 4Originally started as both the Red and Salmon fire (both started by lightning strikes), but have since merged into one fire[30][31]
AppleRiverside33,424July 3195% Contained as of August 274 structures destroyed; 8 outbuildings destroyed; 4 injuries[32]
PondSan Luis Obispo1,962August 1August 81 structure destroyed; 1 damaged; 13 outbuildings destroyed[33][34]
NorthLassen6,882August 2August 106,882 acres in total, of which approximately 4,105 acres burned in Washoe County, Nevada[35]
StagecoachKern7,760August 3August 1623 structures destroyed; 4 damaged; 25 outbuildings destroyed; 2 damaged;[36] 1 firefighter fatality[37][38]
LakeLos Angeles31,089August 1295% Contained as of August 31Lightning-sparked, 33 structures destroyed; 6 damaged; 21 outbuildings destroyed; 2 injuries[39]
Ranch 2Los Angeles4,237August 1396% Contained as of August 26Lightning-sparked[40]
LoyaltonLassen, Plumas, Sierra47,029August 1593% Contained as of August 23Lightning-sparked, Caused National Weather Service to issue first ever Fire Tornado Warning; 5 homes, 6 outbuildings destroyed[41][42]
HillsFresno2,121August 15August 24Lightning-sparked; 1 fatality[43]
RiverMonterey48,088August 1698% Contained as of September 2Lightning-sparked; 30 structures destroyed; 13 structures damaged; 4 injuries[44]
DomeSan Bernardino43,273August 1695% Contained as of August 21Lightning-sparked, Burned in the Mojave National Preserve[45]
BeachMono3,780August 16August 28Lightning-sparked[46]
SCU Lightning ComplexAlameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Stanislaus396,624August 1684% Contained as of September 4Deer Zone, Marsh, Canyon Zone and other surrounding fires combined into one multi-fire incident by CalFire; all believed to have been sparked by an intense and widespread lightning storm; 131 structures destroyed; 37 structures damaged; 5 injuries. It is the second-largest fire complex in California history.[47]
August ComplexMendocino298,629August 1623% Contained as of September 4Lightning strikes started 35 fires, several of which grew to large sizes, especially the Doe Fire; 1 firefighter injury; 1 firefighter fatality. It is the fifth-largest fire complex in California history.[48][49]
CZU Lightning ComplexSan Mateo, Santa Cruz86,509August 1656% Contained as of September 4Several lightning-sparked fires burning close together across San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties; 1,490 structures destroyed; 140 structures damaged; 1 injury; 1 fatality.[50]
LNU Lightning ComplexLake, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo375,209August 1787% Contained as of September 4Multi-fire incident that includes the Hennessey Fire, Gamble Fire, 15-10 Fire and several other small fires sparked by lightning; 1,491 structures destroyed; 232 structures damaged; 4 injuries; 5 fatalities. It is the third-largest fire complex in California history.[51]
HolserVentura3,000August 1780% Contained as of August 19Lightning-sparked[52]
Butte/Tehama/Glenn Lightning Complex (Butte Zone)Butte2,782August 1780% Contained as of August 31Lightning sparked 34 fires throughout Butte County[53]
North ComplexPlumas36,521August 1742% Contained as of September 4Lightning strikes, includes the Claremont Fire (24,330 acres) and the Bear Fire (12,154 acres); 1 injury[54]
JonesNevada705August 17August 28Lightning sparked, 21 structures destroyed, 3 structures damaged, 7 injuries[55]
SheepPlumas, Lassen29,570August 1780% Contained as of September 4Lightning-sparked[56]
SaltCalaveras1,789August 18August 24Lightning-sparked[57]
W-5 Cold SpringsLassen84,817August 1894% Contained as of September 3Lightning-sparked[58]
CarmelMonterey6,905August 1898% Contained as of September 3Lightning-sparked, 73 structures destroyed; 7 structures damaged[59]
DolanMonterey32,407August 1940% Contained as of September 4[60]
Butte/Tehama/Glenn Lightning Complex (Tehama/Glenn Zone)Tehama64,431August 1947% Contained as of September 4Lightning strikes, 14 structures destroyed;1 structure damaged; 1 injury[61]
WoodwardMarin4,811August 1985% Contained as of September 4Lightning-sparked, 1,600 structures threatened[62]
SQF ComplexTulare52,017August 191% Contained as of September 4Lightning-sparked, contains the Castle Fire (51,610 acres) and the Shotgun Fire (407 acres)[63]
MocTuolumne2,857August 20August 30Lightning-sparked[64]
SlinkMono16,200August 2910% Contained as of September 4Lightning-sparked[65]

See also[edit]