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SCU Lightning Complex fires

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Coordinates: 37°26′22″N 121°18′16″W / 37.439437°N 121.30435°W / 37.439437; -121.30435
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SCU Lightning Complex fires
SCU Lightning Complex fires on August 22, 2020.
Date(s)August 16, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-08-16)
LocationSan Francisco Bay Area (East Bay); Central Valley
Coordinates37°26′22″N 121°18′16″W / 37.439437°N 121.30435°W / 37.439437; -121.30435
Statistics[1]
Total area396,624 acres (160,508 ha)
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries6[1]
Structures destroyed222[1]
Ignition
CauseLightning
Map
SCU Lightning Complex fires is located in Northern California
SCU Lightning Complex fires
Location of SCU Lightning Complex Fires in Northern California

The SCU (Santa Clara Unit) Lightning Complex fires are wildfires currently burning in the Diablo Range. The fire complex consists of fires in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Merced, and Stanislaus counties.[1] The name is derived from the three-letter designation given to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) division responsible for the Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and parts of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, and the complex consists of several distinct fires occurring in this region.[2]

It started on August 16, 2020.[1][3] The fire consists of three zones: the Deer, Canyon and Calaveras zones.[4] The Deer zone has been fully contained,[4][1] and the other two zones have grown together into a single branch of the fire.[4] As of September 16, Cal Fire reported the entire fire complex as 98% contained and observed that no fire activity had been noted for over a week.[1] Full containment is expected by September 30.[5]

On August 20, the fires reached Lick Observatory, an astronomical telescopic observatory operated by the University of California, located on Mount Hamilton.[6] One residential building not in use was destroyed, and some other residential buildings were damaged, but the telescope domes themselves did not burn.[6] As of September 14, it has destroyed 222 structures, and damaged another 26, and has injured 6. No fatalities have been recorded.

The SCU Complex is one of several fire complexes currently burning in California, most notably the LNU, CZU, and August complexes. The fire has now grown into the third-largest wildfire in California state history, surpassed only by the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire and the 2020 August Complex fires.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "SCU Lightning Complex". Cal Fire Incidents. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. ^ Vainshtein, Annie (2020-08-20). "LNU? SCU? CZU? How the Lightning Complex and other California fires get their names". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  3. ^ Hernández, Lauren; Swan, Rachel; Cabanatuan, Michael; Williams, Michael; Arredondo, Vanessa; Fracassa, Dominic; Li, Roland; Beamish, Rita (August 25, 500). "California fires live updates: Wildfires have burned almost 2,000 square miles in 10 days". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved August 25, 2020. SCU Complex fires that began Aug. 16 and affect steep terrain of Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties...
  4. ^ a b c "SCU Lightning Complex Fire: Deer Zone contained, some evacuations downgraded". ABC 10 News. August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  5. ^ @calfireSCU (September 16, 2020). "#SCULightningComplex Work continues on the SCU Lightning Complex. CAL FIRE personnel continue to patrol the fire lines looking for hot spots and working on the Suppression Repair plan. We are planning on having the fire 100% contained on 9/30/20" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ a b "UC Lick Observatory Remains Safe From SCU Lightning Complex Fires". NBC Bay Area. August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Hwang, Kellie (September 4, 2020). "Three recent wildfires now among top 4 largest in California history: See Cal Fire list". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
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