Mill Fire (2022)

Last updated
Mill Fire
Date(s)
  • September 2, 2022 (2022-09-02) –
  • September 13, 2022 (2022-09-13)
Location Weed,
Siskiyou County,
Northern California
Coordinates 41°25′49″N122°23′07″W / 41.4303°N 122.3852°W / 41.4303; -122.3852
Statistics [1]
Burned area3,935 acres (1,592 ha)
Impacts
Deaths2
Non-fatal injuries3
Structures destroyed118 (26 damaged)
Ignition
CausePossible equipment failure at lumber mill
Map
USA California location map.svg
FireIcon.svg
Location in Northern California
Invisible Square.svg
Mill Fire (2022)
Location of Mill Fire

The Mill Fire was a fast-moving, deadly and destructive wildfire that burned during the 2022 California wildfire season, destroying parts of the communities of Weed, Lake Shastina and Edgewood in Siskiyou County in the U.S. state of California. Igniting during hot, dry & windy conditions on September 2, 2022, amid a record-breaking heat wave that spanned much of the state, the Mill Fire moved rapidly to the north. Most of the fire's acreage burned and structures destroyed occurred on the first day, due to its predominantly wind-driven nature. [2] The Mill Fire burned 3,935 acres (1,592 hectares), destroyed 118 structures, and damaged 26 more. The fire also caused 2 fatalities when two residents of Weed were unable to escape the quick-moving blaze in its first hours. [3] The fire was fully contained on September 13, 2022.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Background

In previous years, several significant wildfires had burned in Siskiyou County in the vicinity of the Mill Fire. In 2014, the Boles Fire started on the south side of Weed and, driven by wind, destroyed 158 structures in the town's downtown in a single day despite burning only about 500 acres, in a fashion similar to the Mill Fire. [4] In 2021, the Lava Fire burned dozens of structures and 26,409 acres on the slopes of Mount Shasta, threatening Lake Shastina.[ citation needed ]

Progression

The fire began at approximately 12:49 p.m. PDT during a red flag warning near Woodridge Court and Woodridge Way igniting a large warehouse on the property of Roseburg Forest Products, a lumber mill north of the town of Weed, before quickly igniting the nearby vegetation and rapidly beginning to burn through homes in the nearby neighborhood of Lincoln Heights. [2] Propelled by southeast winds up to 24 MPH, with 36 MPH gusts, the fire aggressively exploded northward toward Lake Shastina where additional structures began to burn from spotting fires that regularly jumped natural firebreaks in the area. [5] Within 2 hours, the fire had reportedly grown to 555 acres as evacuation orders went out to the entirety of the Weed and Lake Shastina communities. [5] By 2:50 p.m., the fireline had jumped Jackson Ranch Road, several miles north of the ignition point, and had begun burning into the community of Lake Shastina. Within another hour, the fire would reportedly be 900 acres as firefighting personnel scrambled to establish resources in areas that immediately required them. [5] Within several hours the fire perimeter had doubled to 2,580 acres with 0% containment, as a state of emergency was declared for Siskiyou County by Governor of California Gavin Newsom. [6]

At 3:48 p.m., a second fire was reported on Gazelle-Callahan Road, east of Gazelle Mountain, southeast of Gazelle in Siskiyou County and dubbed the Mountain Fire. As the Mountain Fire rapidly grew in size, resources became strained—the two fires were now spreading quickly, parallel to one another. [7] Within several hours, the Mountain Fire would grow to 300 acres, however, resources remained largely committed to the Mill Fire due to the immediate need for structure protection while the Mountain Fire remained burning in the remote wilderness with comparatively little structure threat. [5] By 10:00 p.m. Friday evening, the Mill Fire had ballooned to a reported 3,921 acres and the Mountain Fire to an estimated 600 acres. [5]

Effects

Two civilians were injured by the fire, with their injuries ranging in severity from moderate to critical. One person in critical condition was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment. [8] Two elderly women ultimately died in the fire; their loss of life was not made public until two days later. [9]

The Mill and Mountain fires knocked out power to a combined 9,775 Pacific Power customers throughout the Siskiyou area on September 2. [8]

Cause

Local and Cal Fire officials have not yet made a determination on the fire's cause. However, the Roseburg Forest Products veneer mill where the fire broke out produced its own electricity in a cogeneration facility that used wood remnants to provide fuel. The leftover ash was then ejected and sprayed with water by a third-party machine to cool it. On September 7, Roseburg issued a press release announcing that the company was investigating the possibility that the machine had failed to sufficiently cool the ash, allowing a fire to break out. The company also said that it "planned to proactively provide up to $50 million for a community restoration fund for the initial recovery needs of impacted residents." [10] Siskiyou County sheriff’s records obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle found that at least seven fires had been reported at the lumber mill over the eight years prior to the Mill Fire. [11]

Roseburg was sued by more than 100 plaintiffs over its alleged role in the Mill Fire. [12] Roseburg resumed operations at the facility in Weed on November 9 after installing new ash-handling equipment and updating its emergency response processes. [13] On December 13, the company announced that it had reached a tentative settlement agreement with four law firms, representing over 700 plaintiffs, over the Mill Fire. The settlement amount was confidential. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weed, California</span> City in California, United States

Weed is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a total population of 2,862, down from 2,967 in 2010. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside, Weed proper, including Edgewood, Carrick, and Lake Shastina. These communities generally have mailing addresses that use Weed or its ZIP code. Weed is about 10 miles (16 km) west-northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second-tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.

The Laguna Fire, also known as the Kitchen Creek Fire or the Boulder Oaks Fire, was a 175,425-acre (70,992 ha) wildfire that burned from September 22 to October 4, 1970, in the Laguna Mountains and East County region of San Diego County in Southern California. It was one of many wildfires in a massive conflagration that spanned across the state from September 22 to October 4, 1970. At the time, it was the second-largest fire in the recorded history of California after the 1932 Matilija Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesusita Fire</span> 2009 wildfire in Southern California

The Jesusita Fire was a wildfire that started on May 5, 2009, in the hills of Santa Barbara, California in the western United States. By the time the fire was contained on May 18 it had burned 8,733 acres (35.34 km2), destroyed 80 homes and damaged 15 more before being 100% contained. The cause of the fire was ultimately traced to local contractors who had left gas cans and hot equipment unattended in dry brush after clearing part of the Jesusita Trail using a weed wacker without any permits or the permission of the landowner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boles Fire</span> 2014 wildfire in Northern California

The Boles Fire was a wildfire that burned in Siskiyou County during mid-September 2014. On September 15, at 1:38 p.m. PDT, the Boles Fire ignited near Weed, California. Later on the same day, at 10:30 p.m. PDT, the Boles Fire was reported at 350 acres and 15% containment. Over 100 structures were reported damaged or destroyed on that day. Later that day, the wildfire was reported at nearly 100% containment; however, this report turned out to be erroneous. On September 16, the Boles Fire had burned 375 acres (152 ha) and was only 20% contained. It also destroyed 150 residences and forced the evacuation of 1,500 people in Weed and Siskiyou County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carr Fire</span> 2018 wildfire in Northern California

The Carr Fire was a large wildfire that burned in Shasta and Trinity Counties in California, United States. The fire burned 229,651 acres, before it was 100% contained late on August 30, 2018. The Carr Fire destroyed at least 1,604 structures while damaging 277 others, becoming at the time the sixth-most destructive fire in California history, as well as the thirteenth-largest wildfire recorded in modern California history. The Carr Fire cost over $1.659 billion in damages, including $1.5 billion in insured losses and more than $158.7 million in suppression costs. The fire destroyed multiple towns around Whiskeytown Lake. At its height, the fire engaged as many as 4,766 personnel from multiple agencies. The fire was reported on the afternoon of July 23, 2018, at the intersection of Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road, in the Whiskeytown district of the Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area. Coincidental to the name of the incident, the fire was started when a flat tire on a vehicle caused the wheel's rim to scrape against the asphalt, creating sparks that set off the fire.

The Mountain Fire was a wildfire in August, 2019 in the area of Jones Valley in Shasta County, several miles east of Redding, California. The fire broke out on Thursday, August 22, 2019, off Bear Mountain Road and Dry Creek Road, north of Bella Vista in Shasta County. Burning within the community of Jones Valley, the fire ultimately destroyed fourteen structures including seven homes, damaged seven others and burned 600 acres (243 ha) of forest land. At its peak, the Mountain Fire threatened over 1,100 homes and also led to the evacuation of over 4,000 residents. Three people suffered minor injuries related to the fire, but no deaths were reported in the blaze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zogg Fire</span> 2020 wildfire in Northern California

The Zogg Fire was a wildfire that burned 56,338 acres (22,799 ha) in southwestern Shasta County and northwestern Tehama County, which are both in California, in the United States, as part of the severe 2020 California wildfire season. The fire was first reported on September 27, 2020 and was not fully contained until October 13, 2020, by which time it had destroyed much of the communities of Igo and Ono, killing four people and destroying 204 buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Salmon Complex fire</span> 2020 wildfire in Northern California

The Red Salmon Complex was a wildfire that burned 144,698 acres (58,557 ha) in Humboldt, Trinity, and Siskiyou County in Northern California during the 2020 California wildfire season. On July 27, lightning strikes in the Trinity Alps Wilderness started two fires, the Salmon Fire and the Red Fire, which eventually merged. As the fire grew, hazardous smoke levels surrounded Forks of Salmon, Orleans, Yreka, and Weed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lava Fire (2021)</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The Lava Fire was a wildfire that burned 26,409 acres (10,687 ha) along the slopes of Mount Shasta near Weed, California during the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire started on June 25, 2021 and was fully contained on September 3, 2021. The fire destroyed 23 buildings, including 14 houses, as well as damaged an additional building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Fire (2021)</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The Salt Fire was a wildfire that burned 12,660 acres (5,123 ha) in the Lakehead area north of Shasta Lake in Shasta County, California in the United States during the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire was first reported on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, and it was fully contained on July 19, 2021. The fire destroyed forty-one structures, including twenty-seven residences and fourteen outbuildings, and damaged four additional outbuildings. Although the cause remains under investigation, officials from the Shasta–Trinity National Forest believe that the fire was likely sparked by hot material that fell from a vehicle on Interstate 5 and landed in dry brush next to the freeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie Fire</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The 2021 Dixie Fire was an enormous wildfire in Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama counties in Northern California. Named after a nearby Dixie Road, the fire began in the Feather River Canyon near Cresta Dam in Butte County on July 13, 2021, and burned 963,309 acres (389,837 ha) before it was declared 100 percent contained on October 25, 2021. It was the largest single source wildfire in recorded California history, and the second-largest wildfire overall, The fire damaged or destroyed several communities, including Greenville on August 4, Canyondam on August 5, and Warner Valley on August 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennant Fire</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The Tennant Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, California, in the United States as part of the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire was first reported just east of Highway 97, three miles northwest of Bray, California on June 28, 2021. The fire was contained on July 12, 2021. The fire burned 10,580 acres (4,282 ha), destroyed five structures, and caused evacuations in Macdoel, California. The cause remains under investigation. The Tennant Fire was one of three fires burning at the same time in the Lake Shasta region, the others being the Lava Fire and the Salt Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McFarland Fire</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The McFarland Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest north of Wildwood in Trinity County, Shasta County, and Tehama County, California in the United States. Started by a lightning strike, the fire was first reported on July 29, 2021 on McFarland Ridge south of Highway 36. As of September 16, 2021, the fire had burned 122,653 acres (49,636 ha) and destroyed 46 structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antelope Fire</span> 2021 wildfire in California

The Antelope Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Klamath National Forest, the Modoc National Forest, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and in Lava Beds National Monument in Siskiyou County, California, in the United States. The fire was started by a lightning strike and was first reported on August 1, 2021. As of October 15, the fire had burned 145,632 acres (58,935 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electra Fire (2022)</span> 2022 wildfire in Northern California

The Electra Fire was a wildfire that burned northeast of Mokelumne Hill in Amador and Calaveras Counties, California that started on July 4, 2022. The wildfire burned a total of 4,478 acres (1,812 ha) and was fully contained on July 28, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKinney Fire</span> 2022 wildfire in Northern California

The McKinney Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Klamath National Forest in western Siskiyou County during the 2022 California wildfire season. The fire was named for its ignition point near McKinney Creek Road, where the fire began on July 29, 2022, at approximately 2:15 p.m. PDT. The McKinney Fire experienced explosive weather-driven growth over the next day and a half, consuming more than 50,000 acres in less than 36 hours, destroying at least 185 structures and causing 4 fatalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fawn Fire</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The Fawn Fire was a destructive wildfire near in Shasta County, California, in the fall of 2021. Caused by a suspected act of arson in the evening of September 22, the fire began in mountains to the northeast of Redding and was driven by high winds the following day south and west into wildland-urban interface (WUI) neighborhoods. The fire ultimately destroyed 185 structures and damaged 26. Three firefighters engaged in suppression of the fire were injured, but there were no recorded civilian injuries or fatalities. The fire cost more than $25 million to suppress and burned 8,578 acres before being fully contained on October 2. A Palo Alto woman was arrested the day of its ignition and charged with starting the fire. As of 2022, legal proceedings were ongoing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fountain Fire</span> 1992 wildfire in Northern California

The 1992 Fountain Fire was a large and destructive wildfire in Shasta County, California. After igniting on August 20 in an act of probable but unattributed arson, the fire was driven by strong winds, outpacing firefighters for two days while exhibiting extreme fire behavior such as long-range spotting, crown fire runs, and pyrocumulonimbus clouds that generated dry lightning. The fire consumed 63,960 acres (25,880 ha) and destroyed hundreds of homes, primarily in the communities of Round Mountain and Montgomery Creek along the State Route 299 corridor. In 1992, the Fountain Fire was the third most destructive wildfire in California's recorded history, though it no longer features among the top 20 most destructive California wildfires. At a suppression cost of more than $22 million, it was then the most expensive fire to contain, but has since been surpassed in that respect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">49er Fire</span> 1988 wildfire in Northern California

The 49er Fire was a destructive wildfire in 1988 in California's Nevada County and Yuba County. The fire was ignited on September 11 when a man accidentally set brush on fire by burning toilet paper near Highway 49. Driven by severe drought conditions and strong, dry winds, firefighting crews were hard-pressed to stop the fire's advance until winds calmed and humidity levels recovered. The fire burned 33,700 acres throughout the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, impinging on the communities of Lake Wildwood, Rough and Ready, and Smartsville before officials declared it fully contained on September 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jones Fire (1999)</span> 1999 wildfire in Northern California

The 1999 Jones Fire was a destructive wildfire in the U.S. state of California's Shasta County. The fire ignited on October 16, and was contained on October 19, 1999. It burned 26,200 acres (10,600 ha), destroyed 954 structures, and resulted in one fatality, becoming the then-second most destructive wildfire ever recorded in California, behind only the Oakland firestorm of 1991. As of 2023 it remains one of the 20 most destructive wildfires in the history of the state. The cause of the fire was never determined.

References

  1. ↑ "Mill Fire". CAL FIRE . Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Thousands told to flee ahead of fast-growing California wildfires: 'It's coming your way'". Redding Record Searchlight . Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "2 dead in Northern California 'Mill Fire'". NBC News . Associated Press. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  4. ↑ Arthur, Damon. "'It's always fire season': Residents describe fast-moving, destructive Mill Fire". Redding Record Searchlight . Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Benda, David; Chandler, Michele; Skropanic, Jessica; Espino, Jenny. "UPDATE: Mill Fire explodes to 3,921 acres with no containment, Mountain Fire at 600 acres". Redding Record Searchlight . Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Emergency". CAGOV . Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  7. ↑ FireScanner, CA [@CAFireScanner] (September 2, 2022). "#MountainFire S/W of #Gazelle in Siskiyou Co:" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. 1 2 Skropanic, Jessica; Espino, Jenny. "Mill Fire strikes Weed; 2 injured, neighborhood destroyed". Redding Record Searchlight . Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Benda, Adam; Beam, Kathleen; Ronanyne. "Siskiyou County sheriff: 2 women confirmed dead in Weed's Mill Fire; evacuation orders remain". Redding Record Searchlight . Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Roseburg investigating possible failure of ash-spraying machinery as source of Mill Fire". Roseburg Forest Products. 2022-09-07. Archived from the original on 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  11. ↑ Gafni, Matthias (September 26, 2022). "Seven reports of fire in last 8 years at California lumber yard at heart of deadly Mill Fire investigation". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  12. ↑ Skropanic, Jessica (2022-09-13). "Man whose mom died in Mill Fire in Northern California, other families sue Roseburg plant". Redding Record Searchlight . Archived from the original on 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  13. ↑ "Roseburg resumes operations for 145 employees at Weed facility after Mill Fire". Roseburg. 2022-11-10. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  14. ↑ "Roseburg Reaches Agreement in Principle to Settle Majority of Mill Fire Claims". Roseburg. December 13, 2022. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2022/9/2/mill-fire/updates/b6fe0623-b165-4d3f-8aa1-5a9d8970cd6d/, a public domain work of the Government of California.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.