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Wildfire — Santa Cruz Mountains, California
August 16, 2020 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
On the morning of the 16th, lightning started multiple wildfires in Santa Cruz/San Mateo Counties that combined to form the CZU Lightning Complex https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/czu-lightning-complex-including-warnella-fire/. At the end of August the fire had burned 84,640 acres, destroyed over 1100 buildings some of which were residential structures, injured three people (first responders), and killed another. Nearly 100,000 people were forced to evacuate. Historic Big Basin State Park sustained heavy damage from the fire burning down the parks headquarters. The fire was still actively burning at the end of August.
Other notable wildfire events in California
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.