Western Wildfires - California, Oregon, Washington Firestorms

Losses, 2024 dollars

$20 billion

Losses at the time

$16 billion

Deaths

46

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Wildfire in Colorado, July 31, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 1 mile east of the Utah/Colorado border between Brown's Park and Dinosaur.
• Wildfire in Colorado, July 31, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 18 miles north of Grand Junction.
• Wildfire in California, July 31, 2020$10,000 · 1 eventThe Apple wildfire erupted near Cherry Valley. The cause was determined to be a faulty vehicle. The wildfire consumed 33,424 acres as it burned into mid August.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 1 to 4, 20201 eventThe Monarch Wildfire started around 7pm on July 23 approximately eight miles south of Juno east of Hwy 163 in Val Verde County.
• Wildfire in Colorado, August 1 to 31, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 18 miles north of Grand Junction.
• Wildfire in Colorado, August 1 to 6, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 20 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs.
• Wildfire in Colorado, August 1 to 4, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 1 mile east of the Utah/Colorado border between Brown's Park and Dinosaur.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 1 to 5, 2020$450,000 · 3 eventsIn late July, there were many days of gusty winds and record heat that brought elevated fire spread, especially to the Columbia Basin and Okanogan Valley. Three new wildfires were ignited between July 27-30th: Anglin, Green, and Coulee Meadows.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 31, 20202 eventsThe Apple Fire started at approximately 4:55 PM on July 31st and has burned approximately 33,424 acres at 95% containment as of mid October. The fire led to many road closures from Oak Glen to Beaumont and numerous evacuation warnings and orders.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 1 to 16, 20201 eventThe Worthington Fire was detected on 07/30/20. The cause was a lightning strike. As of the last report on 08/16/20 at 06:30 PDT, the fire had burned 761 acres and was 100 percent contained. 3.8 million dollars had been expended on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 20, 20201 eventThe July Complex consisted of the Caldwell, Allen and Dalton fires. They were started by lightning on 07/22/20 at around 1015 PDT. As of the last report on 08/20/20 at 06:30 PDT, the fires had burned 83261 acres and were 100 percent contained.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 1 to 10, 20201 eventThe Colockum Road Wildfire was discovered on July 24th near the town of Malaga, 10 miles southeast of Wenatchee. Under very warm and dry conditions, the fire's spread was fueled by several days of breezy winds.
• Wildfire in Colorado, August 1 to 6, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 18 miles northwest of Greystone.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 1 to 10, 20201 eventThe Pocket Wildfire started around 4:15 pm on August 1 approximately 40 miles south of Ozona in northern Val Verde County.
• Wildfire in California, August 1 to 9, 20201 injured · 1 eventThe Pond Fire burned 1,962 acres across the interior valleys of San Luis Obispo county, east of the community of Santa Margarita. The fire destroyed one structure and one firefighter injury was reported.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, August 2 to 9, 20201 eventThe Richard Mountain fire begin southeast of Rock Springs on the afternoon of August 2 and spread rapidly to the south and east driven by strong winds. Although the area is sparsely populated, numerous oil and gas structures were threatened.
• Wildfire in California, August 3 to 17, 20201 death · 1 eventThe Stagecoach fire began 8/3/2020, 9 miles south of Lake Isabella near the town of Havilah. The cause was under investigation. The fire grew rapidly thee first 3 days, then growth slowed and it reached 7.760 acres. No growth was seen after 8/9.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 6, 20201 eventA 1,500 acre fire occurred at the Idaho National Laboratory Site on August 6th No structures were threatened and it began near mile marker 259 adjacent to the rest area on US Highway 26 and about 1 mile northeast of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex.
• Wildfire in Montana, August 7 to 14, 20203 eventsRed Flag Warnings were issued due to low relative humidity and gusty winds.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 9 to 15, 20201 eventThe Lower Coyote Creek Fire began on August 9th, 2 miles to the southwest of Nespelem, due to an unknown cause. The wildfire burned directly west of the Greenhouse Fire from late July along the Columbia River.
• Wildfire in Arizona, August 10 to 18, 20201 eventLightning started the Klaus Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeast Cochise County on August 10th. The fire was spread by strong winds and a lack of monsoon rainfall, and consumed 4864 acres before becoming contained August 18th. Fire suppression costs tallied $377,500.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 10 to 13, 20201 eventThe Pennington Creek Fire burned August 10th-13th in Jack and Palo Pinto counties. It burned a total of 2,654 acres.
• Wildfire in Colorado, August 10 to 31, 20201 eventA wildfire began from human causes 1 mile east of Glenwood Springs.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 11, 20201 eventThe Happy West wildfire began around 1135CST about nine miles southeast of Buffalo Lake Texas in Randall County. The wildfire consumed a measured four hundred and forty-three acres.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 12 to 31, 20202 eventsNumerous human and lightning caused wildfires started in August after prolonged heat at the very end of July and numerous rounds of thunderstorms in early to middle August. Another hot spell occurred in mid August increasing fire weather concerns.
• Wildfire in California, August 12 to 31, 20204 injured · 1 eventThe Lake Fire burned 31,089 acres in the Angeles National Forest, northeast of the community of Azusa. In total, twelve structures were destroyed and another three were damaged. Four firefighter injuries were reported.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, August 13, 20201 eventA wildfire begin to south of Powder River and spread rapidly northeastward, eventually jumping US 20 26. The fire led to the shutdown of the road for several hours on the afternoon of August 13th.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 13 to 16, 2020$300,000 · 1 eventThe Trails Wildfire started around 3 pm on August 13 in Horseshoe Bay in Llano County. At the time the fire started temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s, the relative humidity was in the middle 20s percent, and the 10m winds were 5-10 mph with gusts of 15-20 mph.
• Wildfire in California, August 13 to 28, 20208 injured · 1 eventThe Ranch 2 Fire burned 4,237 acres in the Angeles National Forest. No structures were destroyed, but eight firefighter injuries were reported.
• Wildfire in Colorado, August 13 to 31, 20201 eventA worsening drought that started in the spring of 2020, continued to burn through October. The month of August was the warmest on record, and in the middle of one of the warmest summers on record.
• Wildfire in California, August 15 to 25, 20201 death · 1 eventThe Hills Fire started on 8/15/2020, in the foothills about 9 miles south of Coalinga, CA. It grew to 2,121 acres before being contained on 8/25/2020. The cause was under investigation. The cost of containment was $3.9 million. No structures were destroyed or damages.
• Wildfire in California, August 16 to 31, 20202 deaths · 5 eventsDuring mid August, moisture from tropical storm Fausto moved along the coast of southern CA and made landfall over central and northern California.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 16 to 31, 20201 eventThe Crane wildfire was detected on 08/16/2020 at around 1345 PDT, and was started by lightning. As of 0630 PDT on 09/01/2020, the fire had burned 2993 acres and was 95% contained. 5.5 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 16 to 25, 20201 eventThe Muldoon wildfire began August 16th and burned 374 acres of timber about 20 miles southwest of Mackay. It was fully contained by August 25th and threatened no structures. Cause was unknown.
• Wildfire in Oregon, August 16 to 31, 20201 eventThe Beachie Creek wildfire started in the hot dry days of mid August 2020 in a remote part of the North Oregon Cascades in Marion county. The fire continued to burn through the month but remained in the remote location until September.
• Wildfire in Hawaii, August 16 to 18, 20201 eventA fire blackened around 2000 acres of mainly dry brush in rugged terrain in the northwest part of Oahu. The cause of the blaze was not known, but it did close Kaukonahua Road near Waialua for a time as firefighters battled the flames.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 16 to 20, 2020$15,000 · 1 eventThe Chief Timothy Wildfire was located 5 miles west of Clarkston, WA in the Snake River Canyon. It burned a total 1,400 acres of rangeland and no structures were threatened. The cost of firefighting resources to contain the blaze was estimated at 339,000 dollars.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 16 to 21, 20201 eventBadger Lake, Williams Lake, and Chapman Lake, located 10 miles to the southwest of Cheney, were threatened by numerous wildfires started on August 16th. A total of 333 acres were burned by ignitions started by unknown causes.
• Wildfire in Montana, August 17 to 31, 20204 eventsRed Flag Warnings issued due to low relative humidity, gusty winds and dry thunderstorms with gusty and erratic outflow winds.
• Wildfire in California, August 17 to 23, 20201 eventThe Holser Fire burned 2,142 acres across the interior valley of Ventura county, near Lake Piru. No structure damage or injuries were reported.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 18 to 19, 20201 eventThe Michaud Creek fire began August 18th only 3 miles south of the Pocatello airport and burned 72 acres. It burned grass, brush and torching juniper.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 18 to 21, 20201 eventThe Black Pine Fire was a lightning induced fire on August 18th that burned 1,000 acres 6 miles north of the Utah border near interstate 84 mile marker 270. It burned grass, brush and juniper and spread very rapidly. It was finally contained on August 21st.
• Wildfire in California, August 19 to 31, 20201 eventThe Red Salmon Wildfire started on 07/27/20 at 1103 PDT. It was started by lightning. The fire spread into Siskiyou county on 08/19/20. As of 0630 PDT on 09/01/20, the fire had burned 24495 acres and was 42 percent contained. 0 structures were lost.
• Wildfire in California, August 19 to 31, 20201 eventThe lightning caused Castle fire was discovered on the morning of August 19, 2020. It was located 25 miles north of Kernville on the Sequoia National Forest and just a few miles east of the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 19 to 21, 2020$100,000 · 1 eventThe Lost Oak Wildfire started around 3 pm on August 19 11 miles east of Johnson City in Blanco County. At the time the fire started temperatures were in the middle 90s, the relative humidity was in the middle 10s percent, and the 3m winds were less than 5 mph.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 20 to 23, 20201 eventThe Riviera Park wildfire began around 0045CST about twelve to thirteen miles north of Amarillo in Potter County. The wildfire started around the Park Circle East location to the west of U.S. Highway 287 north of Amarillo Texas.
• Wildfire in Arizona, August 21 to 31, 20201 eventLightning started wildfires on the San Carlos Apache Tribe lands in Graham County during the last 10 days of August. The Rockhouse Fire 22 miles southeast of San Carlos on August 21st was the largest of these fires.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, August 22 to 31, 20201 eventVery dry weather and lightning activity ignited the Lone Star fire in Yellowstone Park around 3 miles southeast of Yellowstone Park. The fire than spread southeastward and grew to around 1000 acres by August 31st. Please see September Storm Data for the conclusion of this fire.
• Wildfire in Arizona, August 24 to 30, 20201 eventLightning started the Basin Fire 12 miles northeast of Mammoth in eastern Pinal County on August 24th. The fire spread by strong winds, and a lack of monsoon rainfall, and consumed 2,710 acres before becoming contained August 30th. Fire suppression costs tallied $40,000.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 25 to 27, 20201 eventThe Comanche Creek Wildfire started around 11:23 am on August 25 30 miles south of Llano in Blanco County. At the time the fire started temperatures were in the lower 90s, the relative humidity was near 30 percent, and the 6m winds were 5-10 mph with gusts up to 15 mph.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 25, 20201 eventThe Miner Creek fire burned 400 acres about 20 miles east of Blackfoot. It was caused by lightning around 5 pm on August 25th. It was quickly contained.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 25 to 30, 20201 eventThe Rye Grass fire was started by a lightning strike on August 25th and burned 150 acres about 8 miles northeast of the American Falls Reservoir. Spread was stopped quickly.
• Debris Flow in Colorado, August 26, 20201 eventA plume of subtropical moisture advected north into the region underneath a ridge of high pressure. Residual moisture from previous days convection helped to prime the atmosphere which led to an uptick in shower and thunderstorm coverage across western Colorado.
• Wildfire in Washington, August 27 to 30, 2020$75,000 · 1 eventThe Bartholomew Wildfire began on August 27 about 1 mile east of Medical Lake along Highway 902. The wildfire burned an approximate 200 acres of grass, shrub, and forest lands. An additional 50 acres were lost on the Fairchild Air Force Base.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 27 to 29, 20201 eventThe Moody Ranch Wildfire started around 2:26 pm on August 27 two miles south of Del Rio in Val Verde County. At the time the fire started temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s, the relative humidity was in the middle to lower 40s percent, and the 10m winds were 10-15 mph.
• Wildfire in Arizona, August 28 to 31, 2020$15,000 · 1 eventThe human caused Light Fire started on August 28th on San Carlos Apache Tribe lands between Calva and Bylas in northwest Graham County. The fire spread through salt cedar by strong winds and burned around 1000 acres before becoming contained August 31st.
• Wildfire in Idaho, August 28 to 29, 20201 eventLightning caused the Black Sand Fire near the St Anthony Sand Dunes, It burned 129 acres but firefighters stopped the spread rapidly. It began around 6 pm on August 28th and was contained on August 29th.
• Debris Flow and Damaging Winds in Colorado, August 28, 202058 kt wind · 3 eventsIn the late morning hours, a few showers and thunderstorms developed over the mountains, and then increased in coverage during the afternoon. Additional isolated thunderstorms occurred across the plains later in the day, producing isolated severe reports.
• Debris Flow and Hail in Colorado, August 29, 20201 in hail · 10 eventsActive day across southern Colorado, with multiple periods of thunderstorms occurring on this day. Early morning thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall, while development later that day produced additional heavy rainfall and isolated severe reports.
• Wildfire in Texas, August 30 to 31, 20201 eventThe 1853 fire burned 1,120 acres in Stephens County from August 30th through Sept 1st.
• Wildfire in Hawaii, August 30 to 31, 20201 eventA blaze scorched a little more than 1500 acres of dry brush south of Kahului in Maui's Central Valley. The fire damaged fiber cable in the area, but the cost of the damage was not reported. No significant injuries were reported.
• Wildfire in Texas, September 1, 20201 eventThe 1853 fire burned 1,120 acres in the southwestern parts of Stephens County from August 30th through Sept 1st.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, September 1 to 30, 20201 eventThe Lone Star fire continued to burn in Yellowstone Park between Old Faithful and Shoshone Lake. The fire had grown to over 4000 acres by the end of the month. This resulted in the closure of some trails and roads in the area.
• Wildfire in Colorado, September 1 to 30, 20201 eventA wildfire began from human causes 1 mile east of Glenwood Springs.
• Wildfire in Colorado, September 1 to 15, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 18 miles north of Grand Junction.
• Wildfire in Colorado, September 1 to 30, 20201 eventA worsening drought that started in the spring of 2020, continued through September. Outside of an early season snow on the 8th, the month of September was another unseasonably warm and dry period.
• Wildfire in Arizona, September 1 to 15, 20201 eventLightning started wildfires on the San Carlos Apache Tribe lands in Graham County during the last ten days of August. The Rockhouse Fire 22 miles southeast of San Carlos on August 21st was the largest of these fires.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 2020$27 million · 1 eventMainly dry fast moving thunderstorms moved north across portions of northwest California during August 16th and 17th. Several fires were ignited due to lightning.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 202015 injured · 1 eventThe lightning caused Castle fire was discovered on the morning of August 19, 2020. It was located 25 miles north of Kernville on the Sequoia National Forest and just a few miles east of the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 20206 eventsContinued periods of gusty offshore winds, dry conditions, and hot to record breaking temperatures allowed the August lightning fires to burn throughout the month of September.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 20204 eventsFor the month of September wildfires continued to burn across northern California. The August Complex is the largest fire in California history, and is spread across the county warning areas of weather forecast offices Sacramento and Eureka.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 30, 20201 eventThe Lionshead fire continued in earnest through September near Warm Springs, Oregon.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 1 to 9, 20201 eventThe Crane wildfire was detected on 08/16/2020 at around 1345 PDT, and was started by lightning. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 09/09/2020, the fire had burned 2993 acres and was 100% contained. 5.6 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, September 1 to 30, 20201 eventThe Red Salmon Wildfire started on 07/27/20 at 1103 PDT. It was started by lightning. The fire spread into Siskiyou county on 08/19/20. As of 0630 PDT on 10/01/20, the fire had burned 124464 acres and was 31 percent contained. 0 structures were lost.
• Wildfire in Washington, September 1 to 8, 20201 eventThe Palmer Fire, 7 miles southwest of Oroville, started on August 18th. Shifting high winds created extreme fire behavior and accelerated rapid fire growth. Passing frontal boundaries assisted in strengthening winds with gusts to 48 mph.
• Wildfire and High Wind in Montana, September 1 to 10, 202062 kt wind · 8 eventsWith lower pressure toward the northeast and higher pressure toward the southwest, persistent surface winds from the west and northwest spread across the region.
• Wildfire and High Wind in Montana, September 2, 202052 kt wind · 3 eventsOn September 2nd, A dry but vigorous shortwave and attendant cold front moved through the region via a dry northwesterly flow aloft.
• Wildfire in Montana, September 2 to 28, 20201 eventThe BobCat fire was detected on September 2nd on private lands approximately 7 miles southeast of Roundup east of MT Highway 87. The fire burned in tall grass, intermixed with ponderosa pine stands and sagebrush.
• Wildfire in Utah, September 2 to 3, 20201 eventA wildfire began from unknown causes 20 miles east-southeast of Moab.
• Wildfire in Montana, September 4 to 30, 20201 eventWeak shortwave troughs interacted with lingering monsoon moisture and sufficient diurnal heating set the conditions for thunderstorm development over potions of Central and Southwest Montana on Wednesday and Thursday (Aug 26th, 27th).
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 4 to 10, 20201 eventThe Grizzly Creek wildfire was detected near 1425 PDT on 09/04/2020. The fire was likely caused by humans, as there was no thunderstorm activity in the area. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 09/10/20, the fire had burned 325 acres and was 25% contained.
• Wildfire in Colorado, September 6 to 30, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 10 miles north of Steamboat Springs.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, September 6 to 9, 20201 eventThe Swinging Bridge Fire started south of Jackson, Wyoming during the afternoon of September 6th. The fire spread rapidly and threatened three subdivisions in the area that had to be evacuated. Evacuations were lifted the next day as the fire was brought under control.
• Wildfire in California, September 6 to 28, 20201 eventThe Bobcat Fire burned over 115,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest, in the foothills above the San Gabriel Valley. Overall, 87 homes were destroyed and another 28 were damaged.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in Washington, September 7 to 28, 20201 death · 2 injured · $15 million · 18 eventsVery dry and critical fire conditions over Eastern Washington during July and August produced dry fuels across the region. These fuels, with an incoming cold front's strong winds, created an outbreak of wildfires, blowing smoke, and dust late September 6th - 7th.
• Wildfire and Strong Wind in Washington, September 7 to 19, 2020$140,000 · 6 eventsAround Labor Day and through the first full week of September, an anomalous upper level ridge set up over the Northwest US, with a thermal trough developing along the Pacific Northwest Coast with high pressure east of the Cascades at the surface.
• Wildfire and High Wind in Idaho, September 7 to 8, 2020$2.6 million · 56 kt wind · 3 eventsUnseasonably cold air spilled into the region resulting in strong northeast winds.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 7 to 30, 20207 deaths · 38 injured · 11 eventsAfter a period of upper level ridging brought a return to above normal temperatures in early September, very strong easterly downslope and offshore winds off the Cascades and Coastal Ranges occurred.
• Wildfire in Idaho, September 7 to 12, 2020$600,000 · 2 eventsThe Hunter 2 Fire began on August 7th, half a mile northeast of Blanchard, due to an unknown cause. The fire burned 684 acres due to high winds, with numerous road closures, evacuations, and destroyed four homes. The wildfire was fully contained on September 12th.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 7, 20201 eventA wildfire near Umatilla driven by strong winds temporarily closed interstate 82.
• Wildfire in Washington, September 7, 20201 eventA wildfire driven by strong winds closed I-82 in both directions from MP 82 to MP 88.|No events found.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 7 to 30, 20201 eventThe Two Four Two wildfire started on 09/07/20 at 6:58 PM PDT. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PDT on 10/01/20, the fire had burned 14473 acres and was 97 percent contained. 48 structures had been lost. 7.3 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, September 7 to 9, 202016 deaths · $270,000 · 57 kt wind · 6 eventsSeptember started off extremely hot, as high pressure built over the area. This led to unseasonably hot temperatures for most of northern California with widespread triple digit heat forecast, accompanied by little overnight relief for the Labor Day weekend.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 7 to 30, 20201 eventThe Brattain wildfire started on 09/07/20 at 10:38 PM PDT. It was human caused. As of 0630 PDT on 09/30/20, the fire had burned 50951 acres and was 98 percent contained. 1 structure was lost. 9.7 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, September 8 to 30, 20201 eventThe Slater Wildfire started at around 0645 PDT on 09/08/20. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PDT on 10/01/20, the fire had burned 154145 acres and was 45 percent contained. 440 structures were lost. 29.6 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in Washington, September 8 to 30, 20202 eventsAfter a period of upper level ridging brought a return to above normal temperatures in early September, very strong easterly downslope and offshore winds off the Cascades and Coastal Ranges occurred.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 8 to 30, 20201 eventThe Thielsen wildfire started at 0830 PDT on 09/08/20. The cause was unknown. As of 0630 PDT on 10/01/20, the fire covered 9974 acres and was 69 percent contained. 0 structures had been lost. 8.1 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 8 to 15, 20203 deaths · $10 million · 1 eventThe Almeda Drive Wildfire started on 09/08/20 in the morning. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 09/15/20, the fire had burned 3200 acres and was 100 percent contained. This fire burned in a greenway and an adjacent urban area.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 8 to 30, 20201 eventThe South Obenchain wildfire started on 09/08/20 in the morning. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PDT on 10/01/20, the fire had burned 32671 acres and was 96 percent contained. 89 structures, including 33 residences, were destroyed.
• Wildfire in Oregon, September 8 to 30, 20201 eventThe Archie Creek Wildfire started around midnight on 09/09/20. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PDT on 10/01/20, the fire had burned 131542 acres and was 76 percent contained. 111 structures had been lost. 26.5 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, September 9 to 30, 20201 eventThe Devil Wildfire started on 09/09/20. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PDT on 09/30/20, the fire had burned 8410 acres and was 20 percent contained. 0 structures were lost. 400 thousand dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Dense Smoke in Washington, September 11 to 15, 20201 eventAfter an anomalous period of strong offshore flow and warm, dry weather, numerous wildfires ignited across the Pacific Northwest.
• Debris Flow and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, September 12, 2020$500 · 3 eventsShowers and isolated thunderstorms were observed training across the foothills and across the Blue Ridge of North Carolina during the early morning hours of September 12th.
• Dense Smoke in Washington, September 12 to 19, 20206 eventsMultiple large wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and surrounding states produced copious quantities of dense smoke throughout the month of September. Due to poor ventilation and a gradual return to southwest winds, there were increasing amounts of wildfire smoke to Washington.
• Dense Smoke in Idaho, September 12 to 19, 20204 eventsMultiple large wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and surrounding states produced copious quantities of dense smoke throughout the month of September. The smoke from these fires severely degraded air quality across much of northern Idaho in mid-September.
• Wildfire in Idaho, September 12 to 30, 20201 eventThe Badger Fire began on September 12th at around 5 pm MDT and continued through the rest of September. It grew to near 90,000 acres and was located 20 miles southwest of Oakley.
• Wildfire in Idaho, September 14 to 30, 20201 eventThe Trap Creek fire began September 14th and burned over 2,000 acres located 9 miles northwest of Stanley near the Trap Creek Campground in the Sawtooth National recreation Area.
• Wildfire in California, September 14 to 30, 20201 eventThe Fox Wildfire started on 09/14/20 at around 1630 PDT. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 09/30/20, the fire had burned 2188 acres and was 100 percent contained. 0 structures were lost.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, September 17 to 30, 20201 eventThe Mullen Fire began on Thursday, September 17th in dense timber both litter and understory in the Medicine Bow National Forest under ideal fire weather conditions of low humidity, gusty winds, and critical fuel levels.
• Wildfire in Arizona, September 23 to 30, 20201 eventThe Cow Canyon Fire was ignited by lightning on August 18th southeast of Blue in Greenlee County. The fire grew only minimally for several weeks until hot, dry and breezy conditions caused more rapid growth toward the end of September.
• Wildfire in Colorado, September 25 to 26, 2020$30,000 · 1 eventA wildfire began, most likely from human causes, 4 miles north of Wolcott.
• Wildfire in Arizona, September 25 to 29, 20201 eventVery dry and hot conditions helped the spread of the Sears Fire through Tonto National Forest lands northeast of Carefree. Conditions remained hot and dry through the duration of the burn.
• Wildfire and Strong Wind in California, September 26 to 30, 20204 deaths · 1 injured · $67,000 · 3 eventsAnother round of critical fire weather conditions occurred from September 26 through September 28 due to a trough sliding into the Rockies and ridge building behind it.
• Wildfire and Rip Current in California, September 27 to 30, 20206 eventsDry gusty offshore winds as well as strengthening high pressure enabled the generation and rapid spread of the Glass Fire across Napa and Sonoma counties at the end of September.
• Wildfire in Hawaii, September 30, 20201 eventA blaze charred about 550 acres of mainly blush on the slope above Kapalua Airport in West Maui. Personnel from a nearby water treatment plant were evacuated for a time as firefighters worked to bring the fire under control.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 1 to 31, 2020$92 million · 1 eventIn the month of October, the Cameron Peak wildfire more than doubled its size. The first half of October could be characterized as unseasonably warm, dry and windy. These conditions allowed the fire to explode from 102,075 acres on the 1st, to 208,663 acres by the 31st.
• Wildfire in Arizona, October 1 to 22, 20201 eventThe Cow Canyon Fire was ignited by lightning on August 18th southeast of Blue in Greenlee County.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventA wildfire began from human causes 1 mile east of Glenwood Springs.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventThe Mullen Fire continued to burn across the Medicine Bow National Forest through the month of October. Several late season Red Flag Warnings were issued for the zone for critical fire weather conditions that led to the wildfire spreading into Colorado at the end of September.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 10 miles north of Steamboat Springs.
• Wildfire in Wyoming, October 1 to 26, 20201 eventThe Lone Star fire continued to burn in Yellowstone Park between Old Faithful and Shoshone Lake at the beginning of the month, but finally dissipated by 10/26/20.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 31, 20209 eventsWith the help of cooler and wetter weather, fire suppression activities continued through October.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 20204 eventsFor the month of October, numerous wildfires that started in September 2020, continued to burn across northern California.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 20203 eventsThe Creek fire started at 633 pm PDT on September 4th (Labor Day Weekend) in the vicinity of Big Creek, California near the town of Shaver Lake. The fire was in an area of very heavy tree mortality in the Sierra National Forest.
• Wildfire in Washington, October 1 to 31, 20202 eventsWith the help of cooler and wetter weather, fire suppression activities continued through October.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 4, 20201 eventThe South Obenchain wildfire started on 09/08/20 in the morning. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 10/04/20, the fire had burned 32671 acres and was 100 percent contained. 89 structures, including 33 residences, were destroyed.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 9, 20201 eventThe Brattain wildfire started on 09/07/20 at 10:38 PM PDT. It was human caused. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 10/09/20, the fire had burned 50951 acres and was 100 percent contained. 1 structure was lost. 9.9 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 11, 20201 eventThe Two Four Two wildfire started on 09/07/20 at 6:58 PM PDT. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 10/11/20, the fire had burned 14473 acres and was 100 percent contained. 48 structures had been lost.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 30, 20201 eventNarrative was pulled from InciWEB site. Lightning sparked the Lionshead Fire, which began August 16, 2020, in Lionshead Canyon on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation approximately 14 miles west of the Warm Springs community.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 16, 20201 eventAnother round of critical fire weather conditions occurred from September 26 through September 28 due to a trough sliding into the Rockies and ridge building behind it.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventThe Slater Wildfire started at around 0645 PDT on 09/08/20. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PST on 11/01/20, the fire had burned 157095 acres and was 85 percent contained. 440 structures were lost. 50.2 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventThe Devil Wildfire started on 09/09/20. The cause is under investigation. As of 0630 PST on 11/01/20, the fire had burned 8856 acres and was 67 percent contained. 0 structures were lost. 679 thousand dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventThe Red Salmon Wildfire started on 07/27/20 at 1103 PDT. It was started by lightning. The fire spread into Siskiyou county on 08/19/20. As of 0630 PST on 11/01/20, the fire had burned 144317 acres and was 78 percent contained. 0 structures were lost.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventThe Thielsen wildfire started at 0830 PDT on 09/08/20. The cause was unknown. As of 0630 PST on 11/01/20, the fire covered 9975 acres and was 80 percent contained. 0 structures had been lost. 13.0 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 20201 eventThe lightning caused Castle fire was discovered on the morning of August 19, 2020. It was located 25 miles north of Kernville on the Sequoia National Forest and just a few miles east of the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
• Wildfire in Oregon, October 1 to 21, 20201 eventThe Archie Creek Wildfire started around midnight on 09/09/20. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PDT on 10/21/20, the fire had burned 131542 acres and was 95 percent contained. 111 structures had been lost.
• Wildfire in Montana, October 3 to 31, 20201 eventAn upper level ridge with an axis extending from the interior western US north into BC would be flattened some on Sunday by a series of very weak mid-level shortwave disturbances moving in from off the WA coast.
• Wildfire in Nevada, October 3 to 8, 2020$100,000 · 2 eventsOctober was dry and warm, with much of the area reporting no measurable precipitation during the month.
• Wildfire in Idaho, October 5 to 15, 20201 eventA wildfire began by unknown causes about 22 miles south of Clayton on October 5th and burned 485 acres through October 15th. It was in the Lost River Ranger district and burned Douglas fir and grass. It had one Type 1 crew and two helicopters.
• Wildfire in Arizona, October 6 to 26, 20202 eventsThe human caused Encinos Fire started 11 miles northwest of Arivaca along the eastern slopes of the Baboquivari Mountains in southeast Pima County on October 6th.
• Wildfire in Idaho, October 9 to 11, 20201 eventA car became engulfed in flames and eventually caused a wildfire that burned 1,500 acres of grass and sagebrush 13 miles south of Bellevue near Timmerman Hill. It did shut down Highway 75 south of Timmerman Hill for a very short time on October 9th.
• Wildfire in Idaho, October 10 to 16, 20201 eventThe Connor Summit Fire which was located 4 miles southeast of Albion began on October 10th and was contained on October 16th. The fire grew to 5,200 acres but did not threaten the town of Albion.
• Wildfire in Texas, October 11 to 14, 20201 eventModerate to severe drought conditions along with critical fire weather conditions resulted in a rather large wildfire in Roberts County.
• Wildfire in Iowa, October 11, 2020$320,000 · 1 eventDrought conditions worsened early in the month due to very warm temperatures and lack of precipitation.
• Wildfire and Dust Storm in Kansas, October 11, 2020$1.5 million · 70 kt wind · 22 eventsA strong southeastward cold front produced high wind gusts ranging from 27 to 81 mph. These high winds lasted for various durations of time, ranging from six minutes to one hour and fifty minutes after frontal passage.
• Wildfire in Oklahoma, October 11 to 12, 20201 eventAbnormally dry conditions along with critical fire weather conditions resulted in a significant wildfire in Texas County which consumed about three hundred acres.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 14 to 31, 20202 deaths · $167 million · 1 eventThe East Troublesome Fire started on the afternoon of October 14th and continued through the end of the month; iIt became the second largest wildfire in Colorado to date, and one of the most destructive.
• Wildfire in Illinois, October 14, 2020$10,000 · 1 eventDry and windy conditions were responsible for several fires, including a 200-acre wildfire on reclaimed strip mine property about three miles south of Equality.
• Wildfire in Illinois, October 14, 20201 eventDry and windy conditions created dangerous fire conditions on October 14th. A large wildfire started in a field about 6 miles west of Danforth during the afternoon of October 14th.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 17 to 31, 2020$37 million · 1 eventA fast moving wildfire developed in the foothills of Boulder County. The Cal-Wood Fire started near Jamestown and quickly spread eastward through the foothills of Boulder County.
• Wildfire in Utah, October 19 to 25, 20201 eventA wildfire began from unknown causes 3 miles north-northeast of La Sal.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 19 to 27, 20201 eventA wildfire began from unknown causes 5 miles west of Silverton.
• Wildfire in Colorado, October 21 to 31, 20202 eventsVery strong winds on the 21st pushed the East Troublesome Fire across the Continental Divide. All roads into Estes Park were closed. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the western part of Rocky Mountain National Park and for the west side of Estes Park.
• Wildfire and Strong Wind in California, October 22 to 25, 20203 eventsA moderate offshore wind event and dry conditions generated critical fire weather conditions across the region. Wind gusts of 30 to 45 mph were observed over the hills of the East Bay with peak gusts across the highest ridges in excess of 50 mph into the morning of the 22nd.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, October 26 to 31, 20202 injured · 73 kt wind · 4 eventsA strong Santa Ana wind event occurred across the region, producing damaging winds and the spread of two wildfires. The Blue Ridge and Silverado wildfires threatened many properties and closed down state routes and freeways for a time as well.
• Debris Flow in Alaska, October 26, 2020$4.3 million · 1 eventA strong atmospheric river impacted Southeast Alaska on October 26th. This was associated with a southerly jet stream that brought moisture up to Southeast Alaska from the tropics that caused widespread damage across Prince of Wales Island.
• Wildfire in Colorado, November 1 to 17, 20201 eventA lightning strike ignited a wildfire 10 miles north of Steamboat Springs.
• Wildfire in Colorado, November 1 to 30, 20201 eventA wildfire began from human causes 1 mile east of Glenwood Springs.
• Wildfire in Oregon, November 1 to 30, 20205 eventsWith the help of cooler and wetter weather, fire suppression activities continued through November.
• Wildfire in California, November 1 to 30, 20203 eventsThe Creek fire started at 633 pm PDT on September 4th (Labor Day Weekend) in the vicinity of Big Creek, California near the town of Shaver Lake. The fire was in an area of very heavy tree mortality in the Sierra National Forest.
• Wildfire in Washington, November 1 to 13, 20202 eventsFire suppression activities continued on the Big Hollow wildfire as cooler and wetter weather continued.
• Wildfire in California, November 1 to 30, 20202 eventsFor the month of November, 2 out of the 4 wildfires, the August and North Complexes, from earlier this summer continued to burn across northern California. The LNU and SCU complexes were controlled or extinguished in the month of October.
• Wildfire in California, November 1 to 30, 20201 eventThe lightning caused Castle fire was discovered on the morning of August 19, 2020. It was located 25 miles north of Kernville on the Sequoia National Forest and just a few miles east of the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
• Wildfire in California, November 1 to 20, 20201 eventThe Slater Wildfire started at around 0645 PDT on 09/08/20. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PST on 11/20/20, the fire had burned 157270 acres and was 100 percent contained. 440 structures were lost.
• Wildfire in California, November 1 to 20, 20201 eventThe Red Salmon Wildfire started on 07/27/20 at 1103 PDT. It was started by lightning. The fire spread into Siskiyou county on 08/19/20. As of the last report at 0630 PST on 11/20/20, the fire had burned 144698 acres and was 100 percent contained. 0 structures were lost.
• Wildfire in Oregon, November 1 to 20, 20201 eventThe Thielsen wildfire started at 0830 PDT on 09/08/20. The cause was unknown. As of the last report at 0630 PST on 11/20/20, the fire covered 9975 acres and was 100 percent contained. 0 structures had been lost. 13.0 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in California, November 1 to 3, 20201 eventThe Devil Wildfire started on 09/09/20. The cause is under investigation. As of the last report at 0630 PST on 11/03/20, the fire had burned 8856 acres and was 67 percent contained. 0 structures were lost. 680 thousand dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
• Wildfire in Oklahoma, November 1, 2020$5,000 · 1 eventA wildfire burned roughly 400 acres near Newcastle, OK on the 18th. A barn and various farm equipment was burned by the blaze.
• Wildfire in Colorado, November 4 to 18, 20201 eventA wildfire began from unknown causes 20 miles west of Gunnison.
• Wildfire in Indiana, November 4, 20201 eventA wildfire started south of Interstate 80/94 near the north Little Calumet River west of Chase Street. The fire spread north toward the interstate just west of Chase Street and crossed over Interstate 80/94 with traffic impacted by thick smoke.
• Wildfire and High Wind in Kansas, November 7 to 8, 202052 kt wind · 4 eventsStrong to high winds occurred over portions of Cheyenne, Sheridan, and Graham counties as a trough moved slowly across eastern Colorado into western Kansas.
• Wildfire in Texas, November 7, 20201 eventModerate drought conditions along with minimum afternoon relative humidity values of around 35 to 40 percent and strong winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts near 40 mph resulted in critical fire weather conditions in the western Texas Panhandle.
• Wildfire in Oklahoma, November 14, 20201 eventAbnormally dry conditions along with low relative humidities and strong winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts near 40 to 45 mph resulted in critical fire weather conditions in the central Oklahoma Panhandle.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, November 17 to 18, 20201 death · 80 kt wind · 6 eventsPowerful Pacific jet stream, rain shadowing, and mountain waves yielded some of the highest winds the region has seen in a few years. Still dry vegetation and high winds contributed to several major wildfires near Reno, NV and Walker, CA.
• Wildfire and Heavy Snow in Nevada, November 17 to 18, 20203 injured · 81 kt wind · 7 eventsPowerful Pacific jet stream, rain shadowing, and mountain waves yielded some of the highest winds the region has seen in a few years. Still dry vegetation and high winds contributed to several major wildfires near Reno, NV and Walker, CA.
• Wildfire in Texas, November 18, 20201 eventA combination of downsloping south southwest winds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts between 30 and 40 mph along with minimum afternoon relative humidity values between 15 and 20 percent and receptive fuels combined to result in a large wildfire in Hutchinson County in the Texas…
• Wildfire in Oklahoma, November 18 to 19, 20202 eventsSoutherly wind gusting to 30 to 40 mph, unseasonably warm temperatures, and relative humidity values from 20 to 35 percent combined with mostly dormant and cured fine fuels to promote the rapid spread of wildfires across eastern Oklahoma during the afternoon of the 18th through…
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, November 22 to 27, 20201 injured · 69 kt wind · 7 eventsA mid-level area of low pressure swung its way across the southwestern U.S., which brought damaging winds and very dry conditions to portions of Southern California. Some places along the coast also saw dense fog.
• Wildfire in Colorado, December 1 to 18, 20201 eventA wildfire began from human causes 1 mile east of Glenwood Springs.
• Wildfire in Oregon, December 1 to 31, 20208 eventsWith the help of cooler and wetter weather, fire suppression activities continued through December.
• Wildfire in California, December 1 to 3, 20201 eventFor the first few days of December, 1 out of the 4 wildfires, the North Complex, from earlier this summer continued to burn across northern California.
• Debris Flows and Flooding in Alaska, December 1 to 5, 20202 deaths · $31 million · 56 kt wind · 17 eventsA large plume of concentrated moisture or Atmospheric River (AR) with an associated low-pressure system moved across the Pacific Ocean and transported tropical moisture from the southwest which impacted Southeast Alaska (SEAK) from December 1st through December 2nd.
• Wildfire and High Wind in California, December 1 to 12, 20202 injured · $1.0 million · 83 kt wind · 10 eventsA strong mid-level trough protruded into the Desert Southwest, which led to strong Santa Ana winds and very dry weather conditions. This led to destructive wildfires and damaging winds across Southern California starting December 2nd and beyond.
• Debris Flow and Flooding in Oregon, December 19 to 22, 202059 kt wind · 13 eventsA series of strong Pacific fronts moved across the region bringing high winds to the coast with heavy rain across much of the area. The heavy rains resulted in flooding of some coastal rivers as well as small stream flooding and a debris flow.
• Wildfire in South Dakota, December 22, 20201 eventStrong south winds, above normal temperatures, along with low relative humidity contributed to a wildfire 4 miles northwest of Altamont.
• Debris Flow and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, December 24 to 25, 2020$2,000 · 3 eventsAn area of low pressure tracking from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay advected in an unseasonably warm air mass into the region from Thursday, December 24 to Friday, December 25, 2020.
• Wildfire in Hawaii, December 26 to 28, 2020$266,000 · 1 eventA wind-whipped fire in leeward West Maui near Olowalu charred more than 750 acres of mainly dry brush, although the blaze also destroyed the Olowalu Community Center, several vehicles and storage units, and partially damaged a residence on Luawau Street.
• Debris Flows in Puerto Rico, December 28, 20202 eventsA low-level trough near the area provided sufficient low-level moisture. The available moisture combined with daytime heating and local effects to generate heavy showers across interior PR. Steering flow was very light, resulting in slow-moving showers.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2020Tornadoes in 2020

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.