2000 California wildfires
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According to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) statistics, 7,622 wildfires burned a total of 295,026 acres (119,393 hectares) in the US state of California in 2000.[1] Cal Fire wildfire suppression costs for fires that burned within the agency's jurisdiction amounted to $109 million. Damages for the same amounted to $87.3 million, with a total of 389 structures lost.[2] The largest wildfires of the year in California were the Manter and Storrie fires, which burned 74,000 and 55,000 acres in Tulare and Plumas counties respectively.
119,393 ha
| 2000 California wildfires | |
|---|---|
A C-130 Hercules drops Phos-Chek fire retardant on the Manter Fire in Sequoia National Forest on July 31, 2000 | |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 7,622 |
| Total area | 295,026 acres 119,393 ha |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1+ |
| Structures destroyed | 130+ |
| Cost | US$154 million ($124m in suppression costs and $29.9m in damages, per Cal Fire estimates) |
← 1999
2001 → | |
Background
The timing of "fire season" in California is variable, depending on the amount of prior winter and spring precipitation, the frequency and severity of weather such as heat waves and wind events, and moisture content in vegetation. Northern California typically sees wildfire activity between late spring and early fall, peaking in the summer with hotter and drier conditions. Occasional cold frontal passages can bring wind and lightning. The timing of fire season in Southern California is similar, peaking between late spring and fall. The severity and duration of peak activity in either part of the state is modulated in part by weather events: downslope/offshore wind events can lead to critical fire weather, while onshore flow and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that hamper wildfire growth.[3][4]
List of wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 hectares), produced significant structural damage or casualties, or were otherwise notable. It is excerpted from Cal Fire's 2001 list of large (≥ 300 acres) fires, and may not be complete or reflect the most recent information.[5]
| Name | County | Acres | Start date | Containment date[a] | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town | Glenn | 1,500 | March 31, 2000 | April 5, 2000 | Caused by an escaped controlled burn | |
| Cabbage | Mendocino | 1,540 | April 1, 2000 | April 5, 2000 | [7] | |
| Berryessa | Napa | 5,731 | June 13, 2000 | June 16, 2000 | Caused by equipment use; destroyed 15 structures | |
| Barrett | San Diego | 2,000 | June 29, 2000 | June 30, 2000 | [8] | |
| Granite | Mariposa | 2,000 | July 2, 2000 | July 4, 2000 | Caused by shooting | |
| Goat | Lassen | 1,084 | July 17, 2000 | July 20, 2000 | Caused by a campfire | |
| Bark | Siskiyou | 1,715 | July 21, 2000 | July 26, 2000 | ||
| Shell | San Luis Obispo | 6,300 | July 22, 2000 | |||
| Plaskett II | Monterey | 5,830 | July 22, 2000 | August 1, 2000 | Caused by camper trying to light a stove | [9][10] |
| Happy Camp | Inyo | 5,500 | July 23, 2000 | July 28, 2000 | ||
| Manter | Tulare | 74,439 | July 24, 2000 | August 9, 2000 | At the time the largest recorded fire in Sequoia National Forest; destroyed 15 structures | [11] |
| Morgan | Lake | 3,283 | July 26, 2000 | July 27, 2000 | [12] | |
| Pachenga | Riverside | 11,900 | July 29, 2000 | August 9, 2000 | ||
| Golden II | Mono | 2,150 | August 1, 2000 | August 8, 2000 | Caused by lightning | |
| Chance | Kern | 1,200 | August 1, 2000 | August 5, 2000 | Caused by lightning | |
| King | Kern | 3,243 | August 2, 2000 | August 9, 2000 | Caused by lightning | |
| Northfork | San Benito | 1,773 | August 3, 2000 | August 7, 2000 | Caused by equipment use | |
| Romero | Merced | 1,200 | August 9, 2000 | September 9, 2000 | ||
| Storrie | Plumas | 55,261 | August 17, 2000 | September 9, 2000 | Caused by Union Pacific railroad track repairs | [13] |
| Hunter | Mariposa | 8,084 | August 27, 2000 | September 4, 2000 | Caused by equipment use | |
| Harris | Santa Barbara | 9,700 | September 13, 2000 | September 18, 2000 | ||
| Concow | Butte | 1,835 | September 19, 2000 | September 22, 2000 | Caused by equipment use; destroyed 16 structures, killed 1 | |
| Weinstein | Tehama | 8,284 | September 29, 2000 | October 2, 2000 | Caused by an escaped controlled burn | |
| Hidden | Lake | 4,500 | October 21, 2000 | October 27, 2000 | Caused by an electrical power system | |
See also
Notes
- Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[6]