Dolan Fire

Dolan Fire
The Dolan fire on Sept 8, 2020
Date(s)
  • August 18, 2020 (2020-08-18) –
  • December 31, 2020 (2020-12-31)[1]
LocationBig Sur, California
Coordinates36°07′23″N 121°36′07″W / 36.123°N 121.602°W / 36.123; -121.602[1]
Statistics[1]
Total area128,050 acres (51,820 ha)[1]
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries15
Structures destroyed14[2]
Ignition
CauseArson[3]
Map
Dolan Fire is located in California
Dolan Fire
Location of the Dolan Fire

The Dolan Fire was a large wildfire that burned in the Big Sur region and other parts of the Santa Lucia mountain range in Monterey County, California, in the United States as part of the 2020 California wildfire season. The fire began at approximately 8:15 p.m. on August 18, 2020. On September 8, 15 firefighters were injured, one critically,[4][5] when they were forced to deploy emergency fire shelters at Nacimiento Station.[6] Ten adult California condors and two chicks died in the blaze, which began about a mile south of the Big Sur Condor Sanctuary in Monterey County.[7] The nonprofit Ventana Wildlife Society of Monterey lost a sanctuary that has been used to release the captive-bred condors into the wild since 1997. While no people or condors were at the 80-acre (32 ha) site, a research building, pens, and other facilities were destroyed.[8]

The fire burned parts of the Ventana Wilderness, Fort Hunter Liggett,[9] along Nacimiento-Fergusson Road,[10] and forced the closure of many area state parks as well as a section of California State Route 1.[11] As of December 31, 2020, the fire has been fully contained.[1] According to the D.A, the estimated cost of fighting the fire was $63 million.[12] The fire also destroyed the USFS Nacimiento Ranger Station.

During winter storms following the fire, entire sections of the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road were washed away, and it has remained closed since then. In January 2022, U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta announced that he had obtained $126 million in Federal Highway Administration funds to repair the road and rebuild the USFS Nacimiento Ranger Station destroyed in the blaze. This includes replacing the fire station, barracks, engine garage and pumphouse, along with some site utilities, such as a water well, solar connections and access roads.[13]

The Dolan fire was started by arson,[14] and Ivan Gomez was arrested in connection with the fire and convicted of arson subsequent to his confession.[15] Gomez claimed he lit the fire to hide five murders, but his mental competency, the true intentionality of the arson, and the actual existence of bodies were put in question.[16] On September 23, 2020, a judge ruled that he was competent to stand trial.[17] He was convicted in April 2022 of 16 felony counts, including arson and cruelty to animals.[18] In May 2022, he was sentenced to 24 years in state prison.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Dolan Fire". InciWeb. September 13, 2020. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. ^ Garibay, Cassandra (10 September 2020). "Dolan Fire near Big Sur passes 100,000 acres, 14 structures destroyed". The Tribune. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b Ives, Mike (2022-05-20). "Man Gets 24 Years for Starting Wildfire That Killed California Condors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  4. ^ Allen, Rob. "Statement Regarding Shelter Deployment". InciWeb. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  5. ^ "BIG SUR DOLAN FIRE RELIEF FUND". Community Association of Big Sur. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ^ McIntyre, Ashton (8 September 2020). "15 firefighters injured during shelter deployment while battling the Dolan Fire". KSBY. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  7. ^ Carlson, Cheri. "California condor population suffers worst year in decades after deadly wildfire". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  8. ^ "Fate of California condors unknown after sanctuary burns". NBC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  9. ^ "Dolan Fire breaches Fort Hunter Liggett, 3 firefighters injured". Paso Robles Daily News. 9 September 2020. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  10. ^ Dickinson, Laura (12 September 2020). "Dolan Fire near Big Sur grows more than 2,400 acres overnight". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  11. ^ Forgione, Alex; Reynolds, Christopher (9 September 2020). "Highway 1, 30 state parks and 18 national forests in California now closed: What you need to know". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  12. ^ Solis, Nathan (2022-05-20). "Man sentenced to 24 years for setting Big Sur wildfire that killed 12 endangered condors". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  13. ^ "Remote Calif. fire station destroyed by Dolan Fire to be rebuilt". FireRescue1. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  14. ^ Shalev, Asaf (27 August 2020). "Arson arrest near Dolan Fire origin points to 'cartel-style' cannabis grow". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  15. ^ Szydlowski, Joe (19 August 2020). "Monterey County deputies arrested arson suspect in 113,000-acre Big Sur fire". The Californian. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  16. ^ Cimini, Kate. "Man who claims he lit Dolan Fire to hide murders undergoing mental health evaluation". The Salinas Californian. Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  17. ^ Duan, Mary (September 23, 2020). "Suspect accused of sparking the massive Dolan Fire is found competent to stand trial". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  18. ^ Smith, Hayley (2022-04-08). "Man convicted of setting Big Sur wildfire that killed 12 endangered condors". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2022-04-10.