August Complex & Other California Fires Burn over 4M Acres

The California wildfire season has broken records by burning over four million acres in a year – due in part to the August Complex “gigafire.” Until this year, the land burned or damaged in California in a single wildfire season hasn’t exceeded two million acres.

“The 4 million mark is unfathomable. It boggles the mind, and it takes your breath away,” Scott McLean, a spokesman for Cal Fire, told the Associated Press. “And that number will grow.”

The severity of this year’s wildfire season reportedly stems from both climate change and land-use issues. Global warming has caused increasingly tragic fire seasons with increased temperatures, drier conditions, and other factors which result in more fires. Similarly, a buildup of vegetation in forests means that that fires burning in forests have more fuel to burn longer and farther.

“What you can say is that our fire seasons here in California have on average expanded by 75 days,” a Cal Fire spokesperson told Vox. “Our summers are longer, which means that conditions are hotter, they’re drier, and that makes us more susceptible to wildfires.”

The consequences of the 2020 wildfire season thus far are significant. Air quality has been historically poor across many states. Throughout the west coast, people were forced at times to remain indoors in order to protect their respiratory health – an especially large concern during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

2020 California Fire Season: August Complex & More

Several individuals fires have been recorded for destroying a historic amount of land during the 2020 wildfire season. The Glass Fire, Zogg Fire, and the historic August Complex fire have all destroyed tens of thousands of acres.

The Glass Fire started on Sept. 27 and continues to burn through Napa and Sonoma counties as of Oct. 9. In just 11 days, the fire burned through 67,484 acres, destroyed 1,545 structures, and damaged 280 other structures. According to Cal Fire, windy conditions, warm and dry weather, and the low moisture in vegetation have all contributed to the fire’s behavior.

The Zogg Fire is another ongoing wildfire in Shasta County, California. Like the Glass Fire, the fire has been burning for 11 days. In this time, the wildfire has burned through 56,338 acres, destroyed 204 structures, damaged 27 structures, injured one person, and killed four people. However, this fire is nearly contained as of Oct. 9.

This year’s California wildfire season has also been significant due to the ongoing August Complex Fire – the largest fire in California’s wildfire history. In fact, the fire has surpassed “megafire” classification and is now deemed a “gigafire.”

A megafire is a wildfire which burns over 100,000 acres. A gigafire is 10 times larger than a megafire and is a title given only to fires which burn over one million acres of land.

The most recent U.S. gigafire before the August Complex was the Taylor Complex in Alaska. This fire burned through 1.3 million acres in Alaska. Before that, there was the Yellowstone fire which was deemed a gigafire after burning 1.58 million acres in 1988. A more recent gigafire was the Australia bushfires which burned across the continent earlier this year.

The most recent gigafire fire in California, which started on Aug. 16, has burned through 7 counties for 53 days as of Oct. 9. 1,021,476 acres have been burned, destroying 52 structures, damaging 6 others, and injuring one person.

Initially, the August Complex was actually several separate fires started by lightning strikes. Later, these fires grew in size until they all became one larger complex.

In addition to the staggering four million total acres burned during the California wildfire season, there have been several other groundbreaking statistics such as:

• Five of California’s top six fires occurred during the 2020 season;
• The largest single fire on California record, the August Complex fire;
• Two of the top 20 deadliest fires were recorded this year;
• Five of the top 18 most destructive fires occurred during the 2020 season;
• 31 people have been killed by wildfires this year with over 8,500 structures destroyed.

With the widespread wildfires in the 2020 California fire season, homeowners and other residents may be filing homeowners insurance claims for the damages to their homes or businesses. Unfortunately, insurance companies may be overwhelmed by the large number of claims they have to handle. This could result in long waiting times or other issues. By enlisting the help of an experienced property damage attorney, consumers may be able to ensure their claims are well supported, expediate their claims, or appeal an insurance decision.

Join a Free California Wildfire Property Damage Lawsuit Investigation

If you experienced property damage or tree damage during the California wildfire 2020 season, your insurance company should cover your losses.

If you believe your insurer underpaid you for your losses, or if you were underinsured, it is not too late to fight for the compensation you deserve.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.