When Controled Burns Go Bad

The Deadly Lessons of California’s 2020 North Complex Fire

By Dr. Bob Zybach and Frank Carroll

A lightning storm on August 17, 2020, ignited 21 individual wildfires in the Plumas and Lassen National Forests in northern California. By September 5, all of the fires had been completely extinguished, with the exception of the Bear, Claremont, and Sheep Fires near the towns of Quincy and Susanville in Plumas and Lassen Counties.

These fires were taking place a few miles southeast of the 2018 Camp Fire, also in the Plumas National Forest, which made national news when it destroyed the town of Paradise in a few hours on November 8, killing 85 people and ultimately burning more than 150,000 acres and 18,000 homes and businesses.

Because of the large numbers of fires caused by the August 17 lightning strikes, and because of its isolated location, the decision was made on the 18th to leave the Bear Fire “unstaffed” for the time being, and to focus on extinguishing fires of greater risk to local communities.

According to the September 3 Infrared Interpreter’s (IR) Daily Log, the Sheep Fire had grown to 2,950 acres, the Claremont to 23,100 acres, and the Bear to 10,200 acres.

The IR Daily Log report contains summarized information of all infrared photography flights that take place while monitoring a wildfire. The imagery can be seen through smoke, shows the hottest portions of an active fire, accurate perimeter acreage, and the exact locations of advancing spot fires.

Read Full Article
http://www.nwmapsco.com/ZybachB/Articles/Magazines/Oregon_Fish_&_Wildlife_Journal/20250704_North_Complex/Zybach-Carroll_20250703.pdf