2018 Carr Fire

Satellite imagery of the extent of the Carr Fire. Source.

The Carr Fire started on July 23rd, 2018 in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area near Redding, California, burning 229,651 acres of land and 1,564 structures around Whiskeytown lake, before being contained on August 30th of the same year (National Park Service (NPS), 2018; NPS, 2020; Schleuss et al, 2018). 3 firefights and 4 civilians were killed in the Carr Fire, and 60 people went missing but were later all found (NPS, 2018; Irfan, 2018). The blaze started off of California Highway 299 after a trailer tire blew out, exposing the rim to asphalt and generating sparks which lit the dry grass along the highway (Berke, 2018; Schleuss et al, 2018). Conditions were perfect for such a large fire to occur (Irfan, 2018; NPS, 2018). California had been experiencing extreme heat, wind, and dryness during a year with record-breaking global heat waves (Irfan, 2018; NPS, 2018).  The Carr Fire grew large and hot enough to generate its own weather system and pyrocumulus clouds (Irfan, 2018). On July 26th, the wildfire created two fire vortexes, one with wind speeds of 143 miles per hour (Lareau et al, 2018; NPS, 2020; KPIX CBS SF Bay Area, 2018). The larger fire vortex made it over the Sacramento River and entered Redding city limits, destroying many homes and National Park Service structures (NPS, 2020). In terms of buildings destroyed, the Carr Fire was the 6th most destructive wildfire in California's history (Schleuss et al, 2018).

Part of the Carr Fire, July 30th, 2018. Source.

There was some controversy surrounding the Carr Fire, as there is evidence that mitigation for such a natural disaster was lacking (Schneider, 2018). Interviews and records on the local, state, and federal levels show that the conditions that made the Carr Fire so large and the extent of its damage on the environment and humans had been forecasted years before, but little had been done to prevent such a fire from occurring (Schneider, 2018). Reportedly, Transportation officials managing upgrades for California Highway 299 had appealed to officials at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area to clear the dry vegetation from the roadside, but nothing was done (Schneider, 2018). This was likely due to the reduced federal budget the National Park Service received prior to the Carr Fire, leaving Whiskeytown with less funds and staff to properly remove dry brush and create fire breaks (Schneider, 2018). Additionally, Redding residents and government officials had not implemented any regulations regarding development that would have better protected homes and businesses against a fire (Schneider, 2018). Because of the damage caused by the Carr Fire and its preventability, California lawmakers increased the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection budget by $200 million annually for 2019 to 2024 (Schneider, 2018). The U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior also increased their preventative measures by setting prescribed burns to roughly 85,000 acres of land in California (Schneider, 2018).

Homes destroyed by the Carr Fire in Redding, California. Source.

This video contains KPIX CBS SF Bay Area news coverage of the Carr Fire on August 3rd, 2018. It includes images taken of the fire from space and a discussion with researchers on the fire vortex that pushed the fire into Redding city limits. 

Sources Cited (Hyperlinked)

The fire that caused widespread devastation in Northern California was started by a flat tire by Jeremy Berke on BusinessIndersider.com (2018)

Why the Carr Fire in Northern California is so severe by Umair Irfan on Vox.com (2018)

Meteorologists Amazed by Power of Carr Fire Cyclone by KPIX CBS SF Bay Area on YouTube.com (2018)

The Carr Fire Vortex: A Case of Pyrotornadogensis? by N. P. Lareau, N. J. Nauslar, and J. T. Abatzoglou (2018)

The Carr Fire at Whiskeytown by the National Park Service on nps.gov (2020)

Timeline of the Carr Fire by the National Park Service on nps.gov (2018)

California Knew the Carr Wildfire Could Happen. It Failed to Prevent it. by Keith Schneider on ProPublica.com (2018)

Here's where the Carr fire destroyed homes in Northern California by John Schleuss, Kyle Kim, and Priya Krishnakumar on LATimes.com (2018)

Note from the Author:

I was actually in Redding, CA for a couple weeks before the Carr Fire started, visiting a family member who lived in the city, and left a few days before the fire started. The image showing the Menlo Way street sign is about 1 block away from that family member's house, which was also destroyed in the fire. Doing research for this post was interesting, because I had never seen that image of my family member's neighbor burned down, and I had visited Whiskeytown lake while I was visiting.