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2020 North Central California Fires | Air Quality

last updated 10 sep 2020

See also: Cal Fire's twitter account
Cal Fire's Active fire list.

Largest northern California Fires since 1932 >
Name County Acres Cause Start date Structures Deaths Notes
August Complex Tehema 491,185 Under Investigation August 2020 26 1 58% Contained as of Sept 8
Mendocino Complex Ranch fire Mendocino, Lake,
Colusa, Glenn		 459,123 Under investigation July 2018 280 1 The Ranch Fire by itself, at 410,203 acres as of July 2018, is the largest fire in California history. 1 firefighter died.
The fire complex burned for 5 months.
SCU Lightning Complex San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa 396,624 Under Investigation August 2020 224 1 94% contained as of Sept 8
LNU Lightning Complex Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo, Lake 375,209 Under Investigation August 2020 1,491 5 91% contained as of Sept 8
Rush Lassen 271,911 Lightning August 2012 1 0 This fire burned an additional 43,666 acres in Nevada, for a total of 315,577 acres .
Rim Tuolumne 257,314 Human Related August 2013 112 0
Carr Shasta, Trinity 229,651 Human Related July 2018 1,604 8
Klamath Theater Complex Siskiyou 192,038 Lightning June 2008 0 2
Marble Cone Monterey 177,866 Lightning July 1977 359 1
Creek Fresno 175,893 Under Investigation July 2020 0 0
Basin Complex Monterey 162,818 Lightning June 2008 58 0
Camp Butte 153,336 Power Lines November 2018 18,804 86
Rough Fresno 151,623 LightningJuly 2015 4 0
McNally Tulare 150,696 July 2002 17 0
Stanislaus Complex Tuolumne 145,980 August 1987 28 1
Northern California firestorm1, North Bay Fires, and Wine Country fires Lake, Sonoma, Mendocino, Butte, and Solano 141,000 Powerline (Atlas & Nuns)
Homeowner equipment (Tubbs)
 October 2017 8,900 30
Fire Acres Deaths
Tubbs fire  36,432 acres 22
Nuns fire  54,382 acres 2
Atlas fire  51,624 acres 6
Source: Top 20 Largest California Wildfires | fire.ca.gov
List of California wildfires - Wikipedia

1. The Northern California firestorm with North Bay Fires, and Wine Country fires in 2017 consisted of 3 but were not combined to qualify for the top 20 list. The 2020 LNU Lightning Complex fires (#3 in total acres) covering a similar area consisted of several fires which merged, so Cal Fire combined them.

Cal Fire Releases Cause of a Dozen More October Fires in 2017: Nearly All Tied to PG&E | KQED

Well known fires which may be part of the above.

Deadliest - Northern Cal:
Name County Acres Hectares Start date Structures Deaths Notes
Camp Butte 153,336 62,050 November 2018 18,804 86 51 identified from Paradise, 11 from Magalia, 7 from Concow, 1 from Chico, remaining not publicly identified as of February 2019
Tunnel Alameda 1,600 650 October 1991 2,900 25
Tubbs Napa, Sonoma 36,807 14,895 October 2017 5,643 22
Source: https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5512/top20_deadliest.pdf" TARGET="_blank">CAL FIRE

Largest Southern Cal
Name County Acres Hectares Start date Structures Deaths Notes
Thomas Ventura, Santa Barbara 281,893 114,078 December 2017 1,063 23 Fatalities (2 direct, 21 indirect) attributed to the fire include 1 firefighter and 1 civilian directly, 21 deaths in later mudslides.
Cedar San Diego 273,246 110,579 October 2003 2,820 15
Zaca Santa Barbara 240,207 97,208 July 2007 1 0
Matilija Ventura 220,000 89,030 September 1932 0 0
Witch San Diego 197,990 80,120 October 2007 1,650 2
Laguna San Diego 175,425 70,992 September 1970 382 8
Day Ventura 162,702 65,843 September 2006 11 0
Station Los Angeles 160,557 64,975 August 2009 209 2
Source: Cal FIRE
Deadliest - Southern Cal:
Name County Acres Hectares Start date Structures Deaths Notes
Griffith Park Los Angeles 47 19 October 1933 0 29 Deaths were RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corporation) workers fighting the fire
Source CAL FIRE

Smoke:
Air Quality Index (AQI) varies from day to day depending on wind direction and the state of fires.
On Novembe 16, 2018 the AQI hit 350 in Chico and 337 in Sacramento (Hazardous) See Air Quality Index (AQI)

On September 6, 2020 the AQI hit 270 (Very Unhealthy) in Davis when a north wind brought down smoke from a 66,460 acre fire west of Chico was still only 50% contained.

More about specific fires:
2020 North Central California Fires
2020 LNU (Lake, Sonoma, Napa Yolo, Solano) Complex Fires
2017 Napa Sanoma Wine Country Fires
Links:
Cal Fire's Active fire list.
2020 Statewide Fire Summary | CAL FIRE
See also Cal Fire's twitter account
AirNow.gov is a partnership of the EPA, NOAA and several other agencies to provide AQI information It gives a 6 day forecast and ozone in addition to PM2.5 Air Quality 2017 Napa & Sanoma Co fires
Active Incidents | CAL FIRE
News Releases | CAL FIRE
List of California wildfires - Wikipedia
A history of California Wildfires | CapRadio
Defensible Space | www.fire.ca.gov/DSspace - 100 ft of fire-resistand landscaping.