CALIFORNIA — Californians continue to cope with smoke-filled skies and devastating news as deadly wildfires burn out of control up and down the the state. As of Thursday, the state’s lead firefighting agency reported that 3.1 million acres have now burned in this “record-breaking” year.
“This year’s fire season has been a record-breaking year, in not only the total amount of acres burned, but 6 of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in 2020,” Cal Fire said in its daily fire briefing memo.
The August Complex, which started Aug. 17 during a lightning storm, is now officially the largest fire recorded in California history, according to Cal Fire. The fire was initially 37 separate blazes. It has now consumed more than 471,000 acres— and is still only 24 percent contained.Ring | Featured AdvertiserMystery of a Missing Package SolvedYou never know who’s going to show up on your porch looking for some grub. Just ask Fred who was able to see what unexpected visitor snatched his box of peanuts.
The SCU Lightning Complex, which started Aug. 18, is now the third-largest fire ever in California. It’s burned more than 396,000 acres in parts of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties as of Thursday.
Now the fourth-largest fire in California, the LNU Lightning Complex started Aug. 17 and has burned through parts of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties. It’s burned 363,220 acres. Five people have been killed in that complex, and another five injuries have been reported.Subscribe
The Elkhorn Fire is burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests after starting from lightning Aug. 17 as well. That’s burned 255,309 acres and is 27 percent contained as of Thursday. It’s now the ninth-largest fire in California history.
Coming in at the 10-largest fire is the North Complex, burning in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties. Three people have died and 10,000 structures have been destroyed in that fire, which started Aug. 18 and has burned 247,358 acres.
And the Creek Fire —which is burning in Fresno and Madera counties — now stands at the 17th-largest fire in state history after just starting Sept. 4. It’s still zero percent contained and has burned 175,893 acres.
Here’s more on some of the major fires burning as of Thursday, via Cal Fire:
**CAL FIRE Incidents**
Willow Fire, Yuba County (more info…)
Willow Glen Road, Dobbins
*1,300 acres, 15% contained
*Evacuations in progress
Oak Fire, Mendocino County (more info…)
North of Willits
*863 acres, 25% contained
*Evacuations in place
LNU Lightning Complex, multiple North Bay counties (more info…)
Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Colusa, Solano, and Yolo Counties
*363,220 acres, 94% contained
*Hennessey (merged fires) 305,651 acres, 94% contained
*Wallbridge 55,209 acres, 95% contained
*1,491 structures destroyed
*Evacuations in place
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 2 in command
SCU Lightning Complex, multiple Easy Bay counties (more info…)
Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara San Joaquin, Merced, and Stanislaus Counties
*396,624 acres, 97% contained
*20 fires in the complex, several have merged together
*Evacuations and road closures in place
*224 structures destroyed
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 6 command
CZU August Lightning Complex, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties (more info…)
*86,509 acres, 84% contained
*Multiple fires
*Evacuations and road closures in place
*1,490 structures destroyed
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 3 command
Schoolhouse, Siskiyou County (more info…) NEW*
Schoolhouse Gap Road, north of Fort Jones
*45 acres, grass and brush, 30% contained
*Forward spread stopped
**Unified Command Incidents**
North Complex, Plumas County (more info…)
Southwest of Susanville (Plumas National Forest)
*247,358 acres, 23% contained
*Evacuations in place
*Includes the Bear and Claremont Fire
*CAL FIRE Team 4 is now in unified command with US Forest Service IMT Team 4
Creek Fire, Fresno County (more info…)
Northeast of Shaver Lake (Sierra National Forest)
*175,893 acres, 0% contained
*Evacuations in effect
*Heavy tree mortality in the area
*CAL FIRE and US Forest Service in unified command
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 1
*Great Basin Team 1
Valley Fire, San Diego County (more info…)
Near Alpine (Cleveland National Forest)
*17,665 acres, 32% contained
*Evacuations in effect
*CAIIMT 15 in command
*CAL FIRE and US Forest Service in unified command
El Dorado Fire, San Bernardino County (more info…)
West of Oak Glen (San Bernardino National Forest)
*12,610 acres, 23% contained
*Evacuations in place
*California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 in unified command with CAL FIRE, Yucaipa Fire Department and San Bernardino County Fire Department.
**Federal Incidents**
Devil Fire, Siskiyou County NEW*
Klamath National Forest
*100 acres, 0% contained
Elkhorn Fire, multiple counties (more…) REMOVED FROM BTU/TGU COMPLEX*
Trinity, Tehama and Humboldt Counties
West of Red Bluff (Shasta Trinity National Forest)
*255,309 acres, 27% contained
*Evacuations in progress
Fork Fire, El Dorado County, (more info…)
15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines (El Dorado National Forest)
*2,500 acres, 0% contained
*Evacuation orders remain in place
Slater Fire, Siskiyou County, (more info…)
5 miles North of Happy Camp (Klamath National Forest)
*120,000 acres, timber, 0% contained
*Evacuations orders in place
Bobcat Fire, Los Angeles County (more info…)
North of Duarte
Angeles National Forest
*23,890 acres, 0% containment
*Evacuations in progress
*EA Silver Team command
Dolan Fire, Monterey County (more info…)
Hwy 1, 10 miles south of Big Sur (Los Padres National Forest)
*94,034 acres, 26% contained
*Structures threatened
*Type 1 NW Team 2 (Allen) in command
Apple Fire, Riverside County (more info…)
Oak Glen/Cherry Valley (San Bernardino National Forest)
*33,424 acres, 95% contained
Red Salmon Complex – Humboldt County (more info…)
14 miles northeast of Willow Creek (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
*71,610 acres, 18% contained
SQF Complex, Tulare County (more info…)
25 miles north of Kernville (Sequoia National Forest)
*67,529 acres, 12% contained
*Castle and Shotgun Fires merged into this complex
W-5 Cold Springs, Lassen County (more info…)
11 miles east of Madeline (Bureau of Land Management – Northern CA District)
*84,817 acres, 98% containment
Blue Jay Fire, Mariposa County (more info…)
Yosemite National Park Wilderness
*2,100 acres, 15% contained
Wolf Fire, Tuolumne County (more info…)
Yosemite National Park Wilderness
*634 acres, 0% contained
Woodward Fire, Marin County (more info…)
3 miles southwest of Olema (Point Reyes National Seashore)
*4,905 acres, 95% contained
Slink Fire, Mono County (more info…)
2 miles west of Coleville (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest)
*22,474 acres, 36% contained
Hobo, Vegetation Fire, Trinity County (more info…) FINAL*
North of Helena (Shasta Trinity National Forest)
*413 acres, 100% contained
Moraine, Tulare County (more info…)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness
*575 acres, 70% contained
Rattlesnake, Tulare County (more info…)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness
*1,194 acres, 0% contained
PEABODY, PATCH
