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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 – October 1, 2020 (2020-08-16 – 2020-10-01)
  • (47 days)[1]
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
Deaths0[1]
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 were wildfires that burned in the Diablo Range in California in August and September of 2020. The fire complex consisted 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 consisted of several distinct fires occurring in this region.[2]

The fire complex started on August 16, 2020.[1][3] It consisted of three zones: the Deer, Canyon and Calaveras zones.[4] The Deer zone was fully contained by August 26,[4][1] and the other two zones grew together into a single branch of the fire.[4] On October 1, Cal Fire reported the entire fire complex as fully contained.[1]

On August 20, the fires reached Lick Observatory, an astronomical telescopic observatory operated by the University of California, located on Mount Hamilton.[5] One residential building not in use was destroyed, and some other residential buildings were damaged, but the telescope domes themselves did not burn.[5] It destroyed 222 structures, and damaged another 26, and has injured 6. No fatalities were recorded.

The SCU Complex was one of several fire complexes burning dirung August and September in California, most notably the LNU, CZU, and August complexes. The fire was the third-largest wildfire in California state history, surpassed only by the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire and the 2020 August Complex fires.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "SCU Lightning Complex". Cal Fire Incidents. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 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. ^ a b "UC Lick Observatory Remains Safe From SCU Lightning Complex Fires". NBC Bay Area. August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  6. ^ 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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