The Basin Fire was a wildfire that burned through Fresno County in Central California between June 26 and July 20, 2024. It prompted numerous evacuations, and was the fourth fire to burn more than 14,000 acres as part of the 2024 California wildfire season.
The fire started on June 26, [1] less than a mile north of the Green Cabin Flat Campgrounds. [2] , and by June 28 the fire had already reached 7,462 acres. [3] One airplane and 9 helicopters were assigned to the fire, along with 430 personnel. Evacuation warnings were also sent out for areas north of Elwood. [3] On June 27, the fire had stayed at the same acreage, and fire crews prioritized the stoppage of the fire near the southern portions of the Kings River. [4]
By June 30, the fire had reached 11,047 acres in size, [5] and was determined to be burning in and near the footprint of the 2015 Rough Fire. [5] 697 total personnel were assigned to the fire. [5] On July 1, the fire had gained another 1,584 acres, covering a total of 12,631 acres by the end of the day. [6] A spot fire near Rancheria Creek was contained by fire crews. [6] On July 2, the fire was determined to have an acreage of 13,166, and the first parts of the fire were contained, reaching a total of 17% containment by the end of the day. [7] [8] The number of personnel responding to the fire jumped to 951, including 9 helicopters and 65 fire engines. [7]
At 11:00 a.m. on July 3, the fire had covered a total of 13,166 acres over a period of 7 days, [9] and was 26% contained, width fire crews prioritizing containment in and around the Kings River area. [9] On July 4, the fire was determined to be 46% contained, [10] and the total number of personnel assigned to the fire was 1,340. [11] The southern and western perimeters of the fire were largely secured. [11]
By July 5, the fire had reached 14,020 acres in size, and containment on the fire stayed at 46%. A red flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service that accompanied western portions of the fire. [12] On July 6, the Sierra National Forest was partially closed as a direct result of the fire. [13] On July 7, acreage on the fire stayed consistent with previous days but containment on the fire reached 60%. [14] [15] A helicopter landing area was initiated near Dinkey Creek, [14] and bulldozers began workinf on suppression repairs to prevent potential erosion of land in the future. [14]
On July 8, the amount of personnel assigned to the fire had dropped to 872, [16] and containment on the fire reached 80%. [16] Water bars were also implemented to minimize potential damage in the aftermath of fire suppression efforts. [16] By July 10, the fire had been 92% contained, [17] and the number of personnel again dropped to 614. [17] It was determined that the northern perimeter was the only portion of the fire's footprint that was still active. [17] On July 13, the fire had reached 14,023 acres, it's maximum size. [18] Containment on the fire also reached 95%. [18] By July 20, the fire was declared 100% contained. [19]
The Lions Fire was a wildfire in the Ansel Adams Wilderness in Inyo National Forest and the Sierra National Forest in California in the United States. The fire was started by a lightning strike and first reported on June 11, 2018. The fire impacted recreational activities in both national forests, as well as access to Devils Postpile National Monument. The Lions Fire burned a total of 13,347 acres (54 km2), before burning out on October 1.
The Ferguson Fire was a major wildfire in the Sierra National Forest, Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park in California in the United States. The fire was reported on July 13, 2018, burning 96,901 acres (392 km2), before it was 100% contained on August 19, 2018. Interior areas of the fire continued to smolder and burn until September 19, 2018, when InciWeb declared the fire to be inactive. The Ferguson Fire was caused by the superheated fragments of a faulty vehicle catalytic converter igniting vegetation. The fire, which burned mostly in inaccessible wildland areas of the national forest, impacted recreational activities in the area, including in Yosemite National Park, where Yosemite Valley and Wawona were closed. The Ferguson Fire caused at least $171.2 million in damages, with a suppression cost of $118.5 million and economic losses measuring $52.7 million. Two firefighters were killed and nineteen others were injured in the fire.
The Mendocino Complex Fire was a large complex of wildfires that burned in northern California for more than three months in 2018. It consisted of two wildfires, the River Fire and Ranch Fire, which burned in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa, and Glenn Counties in the U.S. State of California, with the Ranch Fire being California's single-largest recorded wildfire at the time until the August Complex fire in 2020. The Ranch Fire burned eight miles northeast of Ukiah, and the River Fire burned six miles north of Hopland, to the south of the larger Ranch Fire. First reported on July 27, 2018, both fires burned a combined total of 459,123 acres (1,858 km2), before they were collectively 100% contained on September 18, though hotspots persisted until the complex was fully brought under control on January 4, 2019. The Ranch Fire alone burned 410,203 acres (1,660 km2), making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time until the August Complex fire that occurred in 2020. The Ranch Fire also surpassed the size of the 315,577-acre Rush Fire, which burned across California and Nevada, as well as the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889, which was previously believed to have been California's all-time largest wildfire.
The Delta Fire was a 2018 wildfire that burned near Lakehead, California, in the Shasta National Forest. The fire burned 63,311 acres (256 km2) and destroyed 20 structures, before it was 100% contained on October 7, 2018. The fire burned into the western flank of the nearby Hirz Fire on September 10, and also burned only a couple of miles away from the enormous Carr Fire, the seventh-most destructive fire in Californian history.
The 2019 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the U.S. state of California as part of the 2019 wildfire season. By the end of the year, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, 7,860 fires were recorded, totaling an estimated of 259,823 acres of burned land. These fires caused 22 injuries, 3 fatalities, and damaged or destroyed 732 structures. The 2019 California fire season was less active than that of the two previous years, which set records for acreage, destructiveness, and deaths.
The Mineral Fire was a wildfire that burned in Coalinga Mineral Springs, west of Coalinga in Fresno, California in the United States. The fire was first reported on July 13, 2020 and burned an estimated 29,667 acres (12,006 ha) and before being fully contained on July 26. The fire threatened the communities of Los Gatos Creek Road from Indian Springs to Union Carbide Road and Bingham Springs. It resulted in the mandatory evacuations of Los Gatos Creek Road and Bingham Springs and led to the complete closure of State Route 198 from Firestone Ave. to the Monterey County Line. They were subsequently lifted on July 20.
The 2020 Loyalton Fire was a large wildfire in Lassen, Plumas and Sierra counties in California and Washoe County in Nevada. After it was ignited by lightning on August 14, 2020, the fire burned 47,029 acres (19,032 ha) in the Tahoe National Forest and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest before it was fully contained on August 26. The Loyalton Fire was notable for generating three fire tornadoes on August 15, necessitating first-of-their-kind warnings by the National Weather Service.
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. 21 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. 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, and was the deadliest fire in the 2020 California wildfire season.
The SQF Complex fire—also called the SQF Lightning Complex—was a wildfire complex that burned in Tulare County in Central California in 2020. Comprising the Castle and Shotgun fires, it affected Sequoia National Forest and adjacent areas. Both fires began on August 19, 2020, and burned a combined total of 175,019 acres before the complex as a whole was declared 100 percent contained on January 6, 2021. In the course of the fires, 232 structures were destroyed. There were no fatalities.
The 2021 Arizona wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the state of Arizona, United States. Wildfires across the state burned 524,428 acres (212,228 ha) of land in at least 1,773 fires throughout the state, fueled in part by a drought, hot temperatures, and thunderstorms producing dry lightning. At one point in late June, over 20 active wildfires were burning across the state.
The 2020 Maricopa County wildfires were a series of major and non-major wildfires that took place in Maricopa County, Arizona, from the month of May to the month of October. In the year 2020, Arizona saw one of its worst fire seasons in the states history. Due to the lack of precipitation needed in Arizona, the state fell into an ongoing drought from late 2020 and 2021. High winds were also present during the summer when fire season is mostly active in the state. These factors led to the wildfires in Maricopa County to be destructive and costly.
The 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire was the largest and most destructive wildfire in the history of New Mexico. The fire burned 341,471 acres between early April and late June in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in San Miguel, Mora, and Taos counties. It was the most significant fire of the record-breaking 2022 New Mexico wildfire season, as well as the largest wildfire of the year in the contiguous United States. The fire destroyed at least 903 structures, including several hundred homes, and damaged 85 more.
The 2024 Wildcat Fire was a relatively large wildfire that burned in the Tonto National Forest, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. The fire burned 14,402 acres of land before being declared contained on June 3. It was the second-largest wildfire of the 2024 Arizona wildfire season, only behind the Freeman Fire.
The Six Rivers (SRF) Lightning Complex fires were a series of related wildfires that burned in the Six Rivers National Forest in California from August to November 2022 as part of the 2022 California wildfire season. The fire complex consisted of 12 fires located in Humboldt and Trinity counties.
The Pizona Fire was a wildfire that burned portions of the Inyo National Forest in Nevada. It covered 2,160 acres of land, and was the third-largest fire of the 2024 Nevada wildfire season. Over 188 personnel were assigned to the fire, and was 100% contained by firefighters and other agencies by July 5.
The 2024 Little Yamsay Fire was a wildfire that burned in Klamath County, Oregon from April 20 to May 13, 2024. The fire was utilized to help break up the forests around Klamath Falls, and was 100% contained as of August 2024. It was the first wildfire of the 2024 Oregon wildfire season, and was the 11th-largest as of August 2.
The Spruce Creek Fire was a wildfire that burned in Montezuma County, in the U.S. State of Colorado. It was active from May 14-31, 2024, and was considered 100% contained. It was the first fire of the 2024 Colorado wildfire season, and is currently the 2nd-largest as of August 2.
The Swawilla Fire is a large actively burning wildfire in Ferry and Okanogan counties, located in the U.S. state of Washington. The fire has been burning since July 17, 2024, and is currently 80% contained. It is the sixth fire to burn more than 1,000 acres as part of the 2024 Washington wildfire season, and is the largest fire of the entire season, at 53,343 acres covered as of August 3.
The 2024 Adams Fire was a wildfire that rapidly burned 5,029 acres across Maricopa County, located in the U.S. state of Arizona from June 2 to June 10. 268 personnel were assigned to the fire, and the fire was determined to have been human-caused.
The Lake Fire was a large wildfire that burnt 38,664 acres of land in Santa Barbara County, California. It began on July 5, 2024, and was 100% contained as of August 4. The fire was the first to burn more than 20,000 acres as part of the 2024 California wildfire season, and was the fourth fire of the season to injure more than one person.