| North Complex Fire Part of the August 2020 California lightning siege | |
|---|---|
 The North Complex Fire at around 1:00 p.m. on September 8, viewed from near Sierra City | |
| Date(s) |
|
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 39°51′N 120°58′W / 39.85°N 120.96°W |
| Statistics[1] | |
| Burned area | 318,935 acres (129,068 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 16 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 100+ |
| Structures destroyed | 2,455 |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Lightning strikes |
| Map | |
 The North Complex Fire burned southwest, from Highway 70 near Quincy to Lake Oroville | |
  The general location of the fire in Northern California | |
The North Complex Fire was a massive wildfire complex that burned in the Plumas National Forest in Northern California in the counties of Plumas and Butte.[2] Twenty-one fires were started by lightning on August 17, 2020; by September 5, all the individual fires had been put out with the exception of the Claremont and Bear Fires, which merged on that date, and the Sheep Fire, which was then designated a separate incident. On September 8, strong winds caused the Bear/Claremont Fire to explode in size, rapidly spreading to the southwest. On September 8, 2020, the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls were immediately evacuated at 3:15 p.m. PDT with no prior warning. By September 9, 2020, the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls had been leveled, with few homes left standing. The fire threatened the city of Oroville, before its westward spread was stopped. The fire killed 16 people and injured more than 100. The complex burned an estimated 318,935 acres (129,068 ha), and was 100% contained on December 3.[1] The fire was managed by the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with Cal Fire, with the primary incident base in Quincy. The North Complex Fire is the eighth-largest in California's history,[3] and was the deadliest fire in the 2020 California wildfire season.[4]
- ^ a b "North Complex Fire Incident Overview". InciWeb. November 21, 2020. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ "Bear Fire Update: Evacuation Warnings Expand As Massive Blaze Grows To 254,000 Acres". September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ "Top 20 Largest California Wildfires" (PDF). CAL FIRE. October 5, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 26, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ "Top 20 Deadliest California Wildfires" (PDF). CAL FIRE. October 5, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.