Tucker Fire

Last updated
Tucker Fire
2019 Modoc County Tucker Fire.jpg
Date(s)
  • July 28, 2019 (2019-07-28)
  • August 15, 2019 (2019-08-15)
Location Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge,
Modoc County,
California
Coordinates 41°43′34″N121°14′35″W / 41.726°N 121.243°W / 41.726; -121.243
Statistics [1]
Burned area14,217 acres (5,753 ha)
Ignition
CauseHuman Caused
Map
USA California location map.svg
FireIcon.svg
Location in California

The Tucker Fire was a wildfire that burned near Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Modoc County, California in the United States. [2] The fire ignited on Sunday, July 28, 2019 along Highway 139 and went on to burn an estimated 14,217 acres of land. [3] As of August 15, the fire was 95% contained. Officials say the wildfire was caused by traffic on Highway 139. [4]

Contents

Progression

The Tucker fire ignited on Sunday, July 28, along Tucker Butte Road, east of California State Route 139 near the Perez Overpass and immediately grew to over 2,000 acres (809 ha) of land its first several hours of burning. [5] Throughout its run, the fire did not impact any structures of note however did directly impact large transmission lines within the fire area. [5]

Early Monday, July 29, the fire had grown to an estimated 2,461 acres (996 ha). Later that day, the fire spotted outside of control lines and proceeded to balloon in size to over 11,000 acres (4,452 ha) throughout that afternoon due to warm and dry weather conditions, burning predominantly northeast towards Clear Lake Reservoir. [6] During that time, residents along County Road 114/202, Coyote Butte and the Horse Mountain areas were put under a fire warning, but not under any evacuation warning. [6] At the time, the Tucker Fire was regarded as the largest blaze to burn on National Forest Land during the 2019 fire season as the blaze had grown to upwards of 12,973 acres (5,250 ha) in what had been regarded as an unusually inactive fire season for the state. [7] [8] Late Monday evening, as the blaze made its way to a nature fire break in the Clear Lake Reservoir, fire crews conducted burn-out operations to corral the flare up wherever necessary. [9] By this time over 500 firefighters where actively engaging the fire. [10]

By Tuesday, July 30, the Tucker Fire had not displayed any erratic behavior as it had the previous two days of burning and was estimated to be 14,419 acres (5,835 ha) with at least 10% containment. [10] Within the following days, the fires containment would grow to 95% as the estimated acreage would be slightly downgraded to 14,217 acres (5,753 ha). [11]

Cause

The U.S. Forest Service cited that, much like two previous fires in the Modoc County area during the summer fire season, the Tucker fires ignition was directly human-caused, however unintentionally. [12] No further details have been reported on the specifics of the fires ignition as of this time.

Related Research Articles

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

The Happy Camp Complex Fire was a massive wildfire that broke out on August 12, 2014, at 1:00 AM PDT, as a result of a lightning strikes in the Klamath National Forest in Northern California. The fire, which would eventually consume 134,056 acres (543 km2) of land, was the largest fire of the 2014 California wildfire season and as of 2018, ranks 20th on the list of largest fires in state history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lava Fire (2012)</span> 2012 wildfire in Oregon

The Lava Fire was a wildfire that burned over 21,500 acres (87 km2) of Oregon rangeland during the summer of 2012. The fire began on 23 July 2012, the result of a lightning strike. The fire consumed rangeland vegetation and scrub forest located in and around lava beds in northern Lake County. The burned area was on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management including a large area within a wilderness study area. Firefighters battled the blaze for over three weeks. At the peak of the firefighting effort, there were over 275 personnel working on the fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Point Fire</span> 2012 wildfire in Oregon and California

The Barry Point Fire was a wildfire that burned over 92,977 acres (376.26 km2) of Oregon and California forest land during the summer of 2012. The fire began on 5 August 2012, the result of a lightning strike. The fire consumed public forest and rangeland as well as private forest and grazing land located in Lake County, Oregon and Modoc County, California. The public lands affected by the fire are administered by the United States Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The largest part of the private land was owned by the Collins Timber Company. At the peak of the firefighting effort, there were 1,423 personnel working on the fire. It took 22 days to fully contain the fire and then an additional three weeks to mop it up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soberanes Fire</span> 2016 wildfire in Central California

The Soberanes Fire was a large wildfire that burned from July to October 2016 in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Monterey County, California. It destroyed 57 homes and killed a bulldozer operator, and cost about $260 million to suppress, making it at the time the most expensive wildfire to fight in United States history. At the fire's peak, over 5,000 personnel were assigned to the blaze. The fire was the result of an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park. By the time it was finally extinguished, the fire had burned 132,127 acres (53,470 ha) along the Big Sur coast in the Los Padres National Forest, Ventana Wilderness, and adjacent private and public land in Monterey County, ranking it 18th on the list of the largest California wildfires in terms of acreage burned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 California wildfires</span> An overview of major wildfires in California during the year 2017

In terms of property damage, 2017 was the most destructive wildfire season on record in California at the time, surpassed by only the 2018 season and the 2020 season, with a total of 9,560 fires burning 1,548,429 acres (6,266.27 km2) of land, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, including five of the 20 most destructive wildland-urban interface fires in the state's history. Throughout 2017, the fires destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures in the state, a higher tally than the previous nine years combined. State data showed that the large wildfires killed 47 people – 45 civilians and 2 firefighters – almost higher than the previous 10 years combined. The total property damage and total amount of burned land were both surpassed by the 2018 California wildfires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December 2017 Southern California wildfires</span> 2017 wildfires in Southern California

A series of 29 wildfires ignited across Southern California in December 2017. Six of the fires became significant wildfires, and led to widespread evacuations and property losses. The wildfires burned over 307,900 acres (1,246 km2), and caused traffic disruptions, school closures, hazardous air conditions, and power outages; over 230,000 people were forced to evacuate. The largest of the wildfires was the Thomas Fire, which grew to 281,893 acres (1,140.78 km2), and became the largest wildfire in modern California history, until it was surpassed by the Ranch Fire in the Mendocino Complex, in the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">416 Fire</span>

The 416 and Burro Fire Complex were two wildfires that burned in the southwestern portion of Colorado in the United States in 2018. The fires burned predominantly within San Juan National Forest, 13 miles north of Durango and 14 miles south of Rico. The 416 Fire started on June 1, 2018, and the Burro Fire followed on June 8. Federal officials allege that embers emitted from a coal-burning steam locomotive used by the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad started the blaze, and have filed a lawsuit against the railroad seeking recoupment of $25 million in firefighting costs, penalties and legal expenses. The fires burned a combined total of over 57,000 acres (23,067 ha) and have cost more than $43 million to contain. On March 31, 2022, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad reached settlements in two lawsuits stemming from its role in starting the 416 fire: one settlement with federal authorities in which the railroad would pay $20 million to the federal government and institute a fire mitigation program for its operations. In the second settlement, the railroad agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to home and business owners impacted by the fire and subsequent floods during the summer monsoon season that followed in the wake of the 416 fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 California wildfires</span> An overview of major wildfires in California during the year 2019

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walker Fire (2019)</span> 2019 wildfire in Northern California

The Walker Fire was a wildfire that burned near Genesee Valley in the Plumas National Forest approximately 11 miles east of the community of Taylorsville in Plumas County, California. The blaze was reported on Wednesday, September 4, 2019 and immediately expanded in size over its several days of burning. The fire actively threatened homes from Genesee Valley to Antelope Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lone Fire</span> 2019 wildfire in Northern California

The Lone Fire was a wildfire that burned at Pinnacle Lake in the Modoc National Forest in Modoc County, California in the United States. As of September 13, the fire has burned 5,737 acres (2,322 ha) and is 100% contained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taboose Fire</span> 2019 wildfire in Eastern California

The Taboose Fire was a wildfire burning in Inyo National Forest, southwest of Big Pine and northwest of Aberdeen in Inyo County in the state of California, in the United States. The fire started September 4, 2019 and on October 7, it had burned 10,296 acres (4,167 ha) and was 75 percent contained. The cause of the fire was lightning. Select trails, campgrounds and roads in Inyo National Forest, Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park had been closed due to the fire. The community of Baxter Ranch was under mandatory evacuation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Dorado Fire</span> 2020 wildfire in Southern California

The El Dorado Fire was a wildfire that burned 22,744 acres in San Bernardino and Riverside counties of California from September to November 2020. It was ignited on September 5 by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party in El Dorado Ranch Park; it quickly spread to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest. Burning over a 71-day period, the fire destroyed 20 structures and resulted in one firefighter fatality, for which the couple hosting the party were charged with involuntary manslaughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slater and Devil fires</span> 2020 wildfires in California and Oregon

The Slater and Devil fires were two fires that burned in Northern California and Southern Oregon during the 2020 California wildfire season. The fires burned 166,127 acres (67,229 ha), claimed two lives, injured 12 people, and were 100% contained on November 16. The fires caused some highway reconstructions and forest closures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Lassen County wildfires</span> 2020 wildfire sub-season that burned in Lassen County

The 2020 Lassen County wildfire season included seven large wildfires that burned entirely or in part in Lassen County. A total of 203,296 acres (82,271 ha) of land was burned in Lassen County, making it one of the larger clusters of fires in the 2020 California wildfire season.

<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">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">River Complex 2021 fires</span> 2021 wildfire in Northern California

The River Complex 2021 was a wildfire complex burning in Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, California in the United States. The complex comprises over 20 wildfires that started as a result of lightning strikes during a series of thunderstorms in late July 2021. As of 25 October 2021, the fire had burned a total of 199,343 acres (80,671 ha) and became 100% contained. The largest fires in the complex were the Haypress–Summer Fire and the Cronan Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Fire</span> Wildfire in Yavapai County, Arizona

The Tiger Fire was a wildfire that burned 16,278 acres (6,587 ha) in the U.S. state of Arizona from June to July 2021. The fire was caused by a dry lightning strike in the Prescott National Forest. Although Horsethief Basin Lake was evacuated and both the community of Crown King and the census-designated place of Black Canyon City were threatened, no injuries or deaths were reported, and no buildings were destroyed. Over 300 fire personnel were assigned to contain the blaze.

References

  1. "Tucker Fire". InciWeb (Incident Information). U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  2. Meyers, Talya. "Tucker Fire Ignites as California's First Major Blaze of 2019". Direct Relief . Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  3. "Tucker Fire". Inciweb. July 28, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. Mackey, Meaghan (August 4, 2019). "The Tucker Fire, California's largest wildfire this year, is 95 percent contained". KRCR NEWS. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Robinson, Adam (29 July 2019). "Tucker Fire in Modoc County burns 2,461 acres". KCRA News . Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  6. 1 2 Gailey, Brian (29 July 2019). "Tucker Fire explodes to 11,000 acres". Klamath Falls News . Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  7. Times, Los Angeles (30 July 2019). "Tucker Fire in NorCal Explodes to 13,000 Acres, Becomes Largest Blaze on National Forest Lands in the State This Year". KTLA 5 NEWS . Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  8. Costley, Drew. "California is burning 26 times less than it did in 2018. Why?". SFGATE . Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. Gailey, Brian (30 July 2019). "Tucker Fire reaches Clear Lake". Klamath Falls News . Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  10. 1 2 Gailey, Brian (30 July 2019). "Fire activity slows on Tucker Fire [VIDEO]". Klamath Falls News . Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  11. KHSL Staff. "TUCKER FIRE 95 PERCENT CONTAINED". ACTION NEWS NOW . Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  12. Staff, InciWeb. "Human-caused fires keep Modoc firefighters busy". InciWeb . Retrieved 30 July 2019.