CALIFORNIA – Sept. 10, 2020 – As critical fire weather conditions subsided yesterday, firefighters accomplished full containment on one of the many fires burning in the State. Today, approximately 14,000 firefighters remain on the line of 29 major wildfires burning across California. Although 37 new fires were sparked yesterday, crews contained most of them quickly though two have grown to large wildfires.
Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have now burned over 3.1 million acres in California. There have been 12 fatalities and over 3,900 structures destroyed. 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. (see wildfire records at the bottom).
Weather conditions improve across the state today, with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions. All Red Flags Warnings have been listed with the exception of a small portion of upper Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties. This warning is in effect this afternoon and evening due to gusty winds and low humidity. Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend, with a possible cooling trend next week. In Southern California, temperatures will be at or slightly above normal and humidity levels low into the weekend. Onshore flow beginning tomorrow will help humidity recovery over the weekend.
As crews contain the wildfires, evacuations will be lifted and residents allowed to return home. Sounds simple, but did you know there are many hazards to watch out for when you get to your property? Crews still working in the area, hot spots and potential hidden fire damage are just a few of the things for you to be aware. To learn more about returning home after a wildfire, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
Top 20 Wildfire Records
- 6 of the Top 20 largest wildfires in California History have occurred in 2020.
- Largest Wildfires – #1 August Complex, #3 SCU Lightning Complex, #4 LNU Lightning Complex, #9 Elkhorn Fire, #10 North Complex, and #17 Creek Fire.
- Most Destructive – #9 LNU Lightning Complex and #10 CZU August Lightning Complex
- Deadliest Wildfires – #19 LNU Lightning Complex
Fires of Interest:
Willow Fire, Yuba County (more info…)
Willow Glen Road, Dobbins
*1,300 acres, 15% contained
*Evacuations in progressOak 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
Butte/Tehama/Glenn (BTU/TGU) Lightning Complex, multiple Counties (more info…)
Butte, Tehama and Glenn Counties
*19,609 acres, 95% contained
*Includes multiple other smaller fires
*Decrease in acres as Elkhorn was removed from the Complex and made its own fire.
*16 structures destroyed
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 4 in command
**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
Lake Fire, Los Angeles County (more info…)
Southwest of Lake Hughes
Angeles National Forest / Los Angeles County Fire Department
* 31,089 acres, 96% contained
August Complex, Tehama County (more info…)
Elk Creek and Stonyford area (Mendocino National Forest)
*471,185 acres 24% contained
*Includes multiple fires including the Doe Fire
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