CZU Lightning Complex fires explained
The CZU Lightning Complex fires were wildfires that burned in Northern California starting in August 2020. The fire complex consisted of fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties,[1] including fires that had previously been separately tracked as the Warnella and Waddell fires.[2] The firefighting effort was primarily administered by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).[1]
The first fires started around 3:30 A.M. on August 16, 2020, the result of a thunderstorm that produced close to 11,000 bolts of lightning and started hundreds of fires throughout California.[1] [3] These lightning strikes initially started fires separately known as the Warnella Fire, near Davenport and the Waddell Fire, near Waddell Creek, as well as three fires on what would become the northern edge of the CZU Complex fire. Two days after the fires began, a change in wind conditions caused these three northern fires to rapidly expand and merge, growing quickly to over 40,000 acres.[4]
The fires destroyed 1,490 buildings,[1] including in the communities of Boulder Creek,[5] Bonny Doon,[6] Swanton,[7] and along Empire Grade Road.[8] Fires burned in both Butano[9] and Big Basin Redwoods state parks, where a number of historic buildings were destroyed, including the visitor's center at Big Basin.[10]
On September 22, Cal Fire reported that the complex, which had covered 86509acres, had been fully contained[1] On December 23 Cal Fire announced that the fire was controlled, stating that the fire was fully extinguished and has no risk of reignition.[11] However, it was later discovered that the fire was not quite completely extinguished; redwoods continued to smolder well into 2021.[12] [13]
The abbreviation "CZU" refers to the Cal Fire designation for its San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit, the administrative division for San Mateo, Santa Cruz and San Francisco counties.[14]
One person died in the fires, and one other was injured.[1] [15] [16]
The documentary The CZU Fire In Their Own Words – Fighting Fires, Losing Homes, and Rebuilding Community covers the fires and was created and directed by Boulder Creek resident Peter Gelblum .[17]
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: CZU Lightning Complex (Including Warnella Fire) . Cal Fire Incidents . California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection . September 22, 2020 . October 27, 2020 . September 15, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200915084233/https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/czu-lightning-complex-including-warnella-fire/ . live .
- News: Lakshmi . Sarah . Pickoff-White . Lisa . Green . Matthew . Rodriguez . Joe Fitzgerald . Trump Approves 'Major Disaster' Declaration in CA as Fires Break State History Records . August 22, 2020 . KQED . August 22, 2020 . en-us . August 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823094506/https://www.kqed.org/news/11834647/fires-break-state-history-records-as-blazes-and-smoke-continue . live .
- News: 12,000 lightning strikes sparked over 560 fires across California . August 20, 2020 . KTVU FOX 2 . August 26, 2020 . August 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823162555/https://www.ktvu.com/news/12000-lightning-strikes-sparked-over-560-fires-across-california . live .
- Web site: CZU Lightning Complex Fire Progression . Youtube . CAL FIRE CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz . 26 September 2020 . 1 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231101154348/https://accounts.google.com/v3/signin/identifier?continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fsignin%3Faction_handle_signin%3Dtrue%26app%3Ddesktop%26hl%3Den%26next%3D%252Fsignin_passive%26feature%3Dpassive&hl=en&ifkv=AVQVeyxcRTXBMueUgN3Q4GL35HDe7ZaRcY3dv6VTdi2weucZln5xuntLUz4-XbSiLWUyo6KAimAp&passive=true&service=youtube&uilel=3&flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin&dsh=S369366835%3A1698853428239425&theme=glif . live .
- News: Andre . Drew . Boulder Creek neighborhood destroyed in CZU lightning Complex . September 10, 2020 . August 26, 2020 . October 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221027194352/https://kion546.com/news/2020/08/26/boulder-creek-neighborhood-destroyed-in-czu-lightning-complex/ . live .
- News: Martinez . Lauren . CZU Lightning Complex fires: Neighbors helping each other out after devastating wildfire in Bonny Doon . September 10, 2020 . August 30, 2020 . August 31, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200831030738/https://abc7news.com/czu-lightning-complex-fire-santa-cruz-wildfires-bonny-doon-cal/6395585/ . live .
- News: Larson . Amy . CZU fire destroys trains at Swanton Pacific Ranch near Davenport . September 10, 2020 . KRON 4 . August 28, 2020 . September 15, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200915232407/https://www.kron4.com/wildfires/czu-fire-destroys-trains-at-swanton-pacific-ranch-near-davenport/ . live .
- News: Green . Jason . Kelliher . Fiona . Webek . Evan . Bay Area Fire Updates: 4 dead, 400,000 acres burned, thousands of structures destroyed with fires out of control . September 13, 2020 . The Mercury News . August 20, 2020 . August 22, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200822101929/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/20/live-bay-area-fire-updates-significant-growth-expected-in-blazes-on-peninsula-with-more-evacuations-ordered-overnight/ . live .
- News: Williams . Michael . Fallen trees, crumbling roads and a suspected pipe bomb: CZU crews battling hidden dangers . September 13, 2020 . San Francisco Chronicle . August 28, 2020 . September 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200901213616/https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Fallen-trees-crumbling-roads-and-a-suspected-15521710.php . live .
- News: Graff . Amy . Fire wipes out Big Basin State Park's historic buildings . August 22, 2020 . San Francisco Chronicle . August 20, 2020 . August 22, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200822005024/https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/Big-Basin-wildfire-CZU-Complex-headquarters-park-15497175.php . live .
- CALFIRECZU . 1343643400554172417 . December 28, 2020 . The #CZULightningComplex has been controlled. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/CZU-Lightning-Complex-Controlled.html?soid=1133733276209&aid=CaUIaABQooE.
- News: Harrell . Ashley . More than six months after the fire started, Big Basin is still burning . 2 July 2021 . SFGate . 4 March 2021 . 2 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210702024956/https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/Big-Basin-redwoods-fire-still-burning-california-15995457.php . live .
- Web site: Brooks . Eric . PHOTOS: Smoldering tree found at California's Big Basin months after destructive wildfire . Microsoft News, citing CAL FIRE of 30 June 2021 . 2 July 2021 . 9 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182137/https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/photos-smoldering-tree-found-at-californias-big-basin-months-after-destructive-wildfire/ar-AALFqm0 . live .
- News: Vainshtein . Annie . LNU? SCU? CZU? How the Lightning Complex and other California fires get their names . August 22, 2020 . San Francisco Chronicle . August 20, 2020 . August 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823053402/https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/LNU-SCU-CZU-How-the-Lightning-Complex-and-15499288.php . live .
- News: Fuller. Thomas. Bogel-Burroughs. Nicholas. 2020-08-31. A Vow of Silence, a Cabin in the Woods, a Terrible Wildfire. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-12-05. 0362-4331. 2020-12-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20201208144439/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/us/fires-california-monk-tad-jones-last-chance-santa-cruz.html. live.
- News: Walker. Wilson. August 24, 2020. CZU Lighting Complex: Fire Victim Died Trying To Flee Flames, 6 Rescued; Weather Helps Firefighters. CBS-5 KPIX News. August 29, 2020. August 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200825064540/https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/08/24/czu-lighting-complex-fire-victim-died-trying-to-flee-flames-6-rescued-while-trying-to-return-to-evacuated-homes/. live.
- Web site: Fighting fire: Film revisits devastating 2020 CZU fire . 3 August 2022 . 21 November 2022 . 21 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221121205849/https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2022/08/03/fighting-fire-film-revisits-devastating-2020-czu-fire/ . live .