Santiam Fire

Santiam Fire
View of the Santiam Fire from Salem on September 8, 2020, with a sky reddened by smoke
Date(s)August 16, 2020 (2020-08-16) – December 10, 2020 (2020-12-10)
LocationNorthwest Oregon, United States
Coordinates44°49′16″N 122°11′17″W / 44.821°N 122.188°W / 44.821; -122.188
Statistics[1][2][3]
Total fires3
Total area402,274 acres (162,795 ha)
Impacts
Deaths5[4]
Non-fatal injuriesUnknown
Missing people0[4]
Structures destroyed1,568+
Damage>$25.2 million (2020 USD)[5]
Ignition
CauseLightning, downed power line (September spot fires)[6]
Map
Map
Perimeter of Santiam Fire. Clockwise, left to right: The Riverside Fire, the Lionshead Fire and the Beachie Creek Fire
Santiam Fire is located in Oregon
Santiam Fire
Location of the Santiam Fire in Oregon
2020 Western U.S. wildfires
Multiple wildfires burning near the Pacific coast of the U.S. on September 9, 2020
Affected states
Background
Largest wildfire by state
  • Arizona - Bush (193,455 acres)
  • California - August Complex (1,032,648 acres)
  • Colorado - Cameron Peak (208,913 acres)
  • Nevada - Meadow Valley (59,265 acres)
  • New Mexico - Cub (25,950 acres)
  • Oregon - Santiam (402,274 acres)
  • Utah - East Fork (89,765 acres)
  • Washington - Pearl Hill (223,730 acres)

The Santiam Fire was a very large wildfire that burned in Marion, Jefferson, Linn, and Clackamas counties, in northwest Oregon, United States. Having ignited in August 2020, the 402,274-acre (162,795 ha) fire ravaged multiple communities in northwestern Oregon, before it was fully contained on December 10, 2020. The fire started as three separate fires. The Beachie Creek, Lionshead, and P-515 fires were ignited by lightning on August 16, 2020. The first three fires gradually grew in size, before explosively spreading in early September during a heatwave, fanned by powerful east winds. Early on September 8, the Beachie Creek and Lionshead Fires merged, and the combined fire was labeled the Santiam Fire, before being returned to their original names a couple of days later.[7] The P-515 Fire merged into the Lionshead Fire a few days later.[8][7] The Santiam Fire destroyed over 1,500 structures, including nearly the entire cities of Detroit and Gates, with Idanha, Mill City, and Lyons suffering varying amounts of damage, becoming one of the most destructive wildfires in the recorded history of Oregon.[9][10] The fire killed five people.[4][11] On September 10–12, 2020, there were fears that the Santiam Fire would merge with the Riverside Fire to the north.[7]

  1. ^ "Beachie Creek Incident Information". InciWeb. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  2. ^ "Lionshead Fire Incident Information". InciWeb. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  3. ^ "P-515 Incident Information". InciWeb. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. October 5, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Amelia Templeton (September 24, 2020). "2 people remain missing in Oregon's devastating wildfires". OPB. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  5. ^ 2020 National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report (PDF). Geographic Area Coordination Center (Report). National Interagency Fire Center. September 11, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference tiny was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference two big was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference expected to merge was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Power lines sparked 13 Santiam Canyon fires; roundup of latest fire info". KTVZ. September 16, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  10. ^ David Davis; Zach Urness; Connor Radnovich; Capi Lynn (September 11, 2020). "UPDATES: First Santiam Fire fatalities confirmed; sheriff warns people to stay away". Salem Statesman Journal. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  11. ^ "4 dead, 10 missing in Beachie Creek Fire". KOIN.com. September 12, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.