Lake Fire | |
---|---|
Clockwise from top: The smoke plume from the fire rising above Zaca Lake on July 7, the fire as seen during the night, an aerial view of the smoke plume | |
Date(s) |
|
Statistics | |
Perimeter | 95% contained |
Burned area | 38,664 acres (15,647 ha; 60 sq mi; 156 km2) |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 0 |
Non-fatal injuries | 7 firefighters |
Structures destroyed | 4 destroyed, 1 damaged |
Ignition | |
Cause | Unknown |
Motive | Under investigation |
Map | |
![]() Perimeter of the Lake Fire (2024) (map data) |
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.
The fire started as a small vegetation fire on July 5, at around 3:48 p.m, near Zaca Lake. The fire grew rapidly through grass and brush during a prolonged heat wave across the west coast. Road closures accompanied the firefighting response on the same day. [1] By July 8, the fire had grown to 20,320 acres, and 1,162 personnel were assigned to firing operations. [1] On the morning of July 9, the fire had again grown, covering 26,176 acres and reaching 12% containment. [2] The east side of the fire was noted as having the highest rate of activity. [2] Evacuation orders were placed for parts of the Figueroa Mountain, and an evacuation warning was issued for the Goat Rock area. [2]
On July 10, the fire had reached 28,987 acres in size, [3] and an estimated 1,500 people were evacuated from areas near the fire. Containment reached 16% on the same day. [3] On July 11, the fire covered 34,015 acres of grass and brush, and was split into a North Zone (A) and South Zone (B). The fire in the North Zone straddled Happy Canyon Road, but never crossed it due to counter-fire efforts from firefighters. [4]
By July 12, the fire covered 36,707 acres and remained at 16% containment. [5] 3,411 personnel were assigned to the fire. [5] The fire began to slowly move down the Sisquoc River, and continued moving through areas near Davey Brown.The Goat Rock area also reminded threatened by the fire. [5] On July 13, the fire continued to be active in the Davey Brown, Ranger Peak and Goat Rock areas, [6] and covered 37,472 acres by 10:00 p.m. the same day. [6] [7] Containment on the fire reached 19% around the same time. [6]
On July 14, the fire had grown slightly, covering 37,872 acres and retaining 19% containment. [8] The fire made small pushes uphill in the South Zone. [8] On July 15, the fire had reached 38,430 acres, [9] a slight increase from the previous day. Containment on the fire jumped to 34%, [9] and the amount of personnel assigned to the fire also increased to 3,546. [9] In the North Zone, firefighters continued to patrol the fire edge located on the Sisquoc River, [9] and Happy Canyon Road continued to be encroached by the fire. [9]
On July 16, the fire had again gained slightly in acreage, reaching 38,653 acres by 8:40 a.m. and containment reaching 38% around the same time. [10] Fire crews were transported via helicopter to the remote areas of the Zaca Ridge located in the North Zone, where the fire was actively burning. [10] Forest Route 10N06 was closed as a result of the fire. [11] By July 17, the fire only gained 10 acres, [12] covering 38,663 acres by 10 a.m. the same day. [12] The amount of personnel assigned to the fire also lowered, with 3,247 personnel responding to the fire. [12] Firefighters along the southeast perimeter of the fire began to prioritize the destruction of smoldering ash and embers left by the fire. [12]
By July 18, the fire had stayed within it's original footprint, gaining no acreage. [13] Containment on the fire had almost doubled from July 16, with 63% of the fire contained. [13] On July 19, firefighters made further progress on containment of the fire, with 73% contained. [14] California Complex Incident Management Team 2 (CA-CIMT2) also took command of the fire, [14] and an unmanned aerial system was used to locate smoldering ash and other potentially ignited material. [14]
On July 20, containment and acreage of the fire remained consistent with previous days, [15] but the amount of personnel assigned to the fire again dropped to 2,055. [15] Fire crews continued constructing fire lines in the northern portions of the fire. [15] On July 21, the fire had gained 1 acre, and the North and South Zones were dissolved, merging back into one larger complex. Fire crews searched for potential unburned fuel on the eastern portions of the fire. [16] The eastern part of Zaca Lake Road, Forest Route 10N06 and Happy Canyon Road remained closed due to the fire. [16]
By July 22, the fire had been 90% contained, [17] and the number of personnel assigned to the fire lowered to 1,614. [17] Fire crews prioritized the extinguishing of hot spots, with the aid of aerial vehicles, including a helicopter. [17] Many roads remained closed as a result of the fire, [17] and fire crews also began to haul equipment away from the immediate perimeter of the fire. [17] On July 23, the amount of personnel responding to the fire again lowered to 995, [18] and containment on the fire remained at 90%. [18]
On July 24, all evacuation orders related to the fire were cancelled, but the Los Padres National Forest remained closed. [19] Fire suppression and repair was prioritized by the remaining 909 personnel. [19] Crews also worked to the south of the historic Manzana School House to the fire perimeter. [19] Along the southern perimeter of the fire, suppression repair was around 95% complete. [19]
On July 25, the amount of personnel responding to the fire lowered to 746, [20] and the remaining fire crews worked with suppression repair. [20] Inflicting minimal environmental damage as a result of fire suppression was also prioritized. [20] By July 26, fire crews worked to minimize soil erosion from the fire suppression efforts. [21] Fire crews also continued observing the fire edge and perimeters, to prevent any potential flare-ups of material. [21] The Los Padres National Forest closure notice was not lifted, and the area remained closed to the public as a result of the fire. [21] At 7:00 a.m. on July 27, [22] command over the fire was handed off to a Type 3 Incident Management Team from the Los Padres National Forest. [22]
On August 4, the fire was declared 100% contained. [23] [24]
An estimated 2,166 were evacuated as a direct result of the fire. [25]
The Slinkard Fire was a wildfire in Mono County in California in the United States. The fire was reported on August 29, 2017. It was caused by a lightning strike. The fire was fully contained on September 12, after it had burned 8,925 acres (36 km2).
The Gibralter Fire was a wildfire in Kootenai National Forest, 7 miles (11 km) east of Eureka, Montana in the United States. The fire, which was started by a lightning strike, was reported on August 7, 2017, and burned a total of 12,938 acres (52 km2). The fire threatened numerous private property and structures, as well as recreational and historical sites in the forest.
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 Cranston Fire was a wildfire that burned in southwest Riverside County, California, in the United States. The fire was started on July 25, 2018, by Brandon M. McGlover, in an act of arson. The fire burned a total of 13,139 acres (53 km2), before it was fully contained on August 10. The Cranston Fire impacted the communities of Idyllwild, Mountain Center, and Anza as well as recreational activities in the Lake Hemet area, San Bernardino National Forest and Mount San Jacinto State Park. Over 7,000 people were evacuated due to the Cranston Fire. These communities also went without power for 11 days in 100° temperatures.
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 2020 Utah wildfire season was a series of prominent wildfires throughout the state of Utah, lasting from June 1 through October 30, as defined by state law. Part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season, Utah saw record-breaking numbers of human-caused fires. The largest fire of the season, the East Fork Fire, burned an area of 89,568 acres. In total, the suppression costs for the fires amounted to at least $103 million.
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 Cameron Peak fire was a wildfire that started near Chambers Lake, Colorado, 25 miles (40 km) east of Walden and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Red Feather Lakes near Cameron Pass on August 13, 2020, and was declared 100% contained on December 2, 2020. The fire burnt 208,663 acres through the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Larimer and Jackson Counties and Rocky Mountain National Park. At its peak, the fire forced the evacuation of over 6,000 residents in Estes Park, Chambers Lake, Rustic, Glacier View Meadows, Red Feather Lakes, Masonville, Glen Haven, Spring Canyon, various small communities along Highway 14, Stove Prairie Landing Road, as well as the Colorado State University Mountain Campus and had over 1,000 personnel fighting the fire. 469 structures were destroyed by the fire, including 220 outbuildings and 42 primary residences. The fire became the largest wildfire in Colorado history, surpassing the Pine Gulch Fire, which had set the same mark just seven weeks prior.
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 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 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 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.