When Wildfire Comes

The Bear Fire started in the Plumas National Forest of Butte County CA and became the North Complex Fire in 2020, killing sixteen people and destroying thousands of homes in the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls.  As the Bear Fire exploded in unprecedented size (burning 220,000 acres in one day) and intensity overnight on September 9, 2020, its plume of smoke eventually covered the entire Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, leading to the event called the "Orange Skies Day" in the Bay Area.  Follow along with Chief Messina as he describes 18 hours of the most intensive wildfire to burn in the recent history of the western US.  Views of the Bear Fire can be viewed at https://gis.data.cnra.ca.gov/maps/CALFIRE-Forestry::north-complex-structure-status-map/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GivCgdNzV2c

The Palisades Fire, which ignited on January 7, 2025, was a catastrophic wildfire in Los Angeles County driven by historically powerful Santa Ana winds.  NOAA incident meteorologist Richard Thompson describes how the humidity levels during this extreme wind event were driven down to critical levels and cast burning embers into the city of Pacific Palisades to ultimately burn nearly 7000 structures.  Listeners can see the progression of the fire into the urban zones of Pacific Palisades by going to the map found at https://the-lookout.org/2025/01/21/progression-of-the-palisades-fire/

Podcast host Christopher Potter presents a new analysis of the destruction of thousands of homes in Altadena, CA during the Eaton Fire of January 2025. Mapping shows how structure density, urban biomass fuels, and wind-driven fire behavior contributed to the intensity of this devastating urban incident. The findings are vital for improving future wildfire risk assessments and informing post-fire recovery and rebuilding strategies in densely populated environments. Listeners should go to https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122127036741079001&type=3 to follow along with the presentation slides.

Massive cumulonimbus clouds can form over wildfires in the western United States and are likely increasing with the intensity of the wildfires themselves.  Daniel Swain is a climate scientist at the University of California who focuses on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events, including floods, storms, and wildfires.  In this episode, Dr. Swain discusses the formation of firestorms and the climate science that explains them.

The Dixie Fire was an enormous wildfire that burned almost 1 million acres in Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama counties in Northern California.   The wildfire damaged or destroyed several rural communities in the Sierra Nevada mountains, including Greenville, CA.  This dynamic visualization (https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4993) shows the spread of the Dixie Fire between July 14 and October 22, 2021, which enables listeners to follow along with Chief Norman, as he describes the fire’s nearly uncontrollable path of mass destruction.

Fire weather refers to the specific atmospheric conditions, such as extremely low humidity and high winds, that make it easier for wildfires to ignite, spread rapidly, and become difficult to control. Matthew Mehle, Lead Meteorologist and Spotter Program Manager for the San Francisco Bay Area Weather Forecast Office talks in depth about increase in fire weather days across the western U.S. and about the winds that have driven wildland blazes into urban areas across California. This is "master class" on fire weather and climate change.

On the one-year anniversary of the events of the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles County, Eaton Fire survivor and Altadena home-owner Kelly Etter recounts a heartfelt story of loss and recovery. The Eaton Fire began on the evening of January 7, 2025 when powerful Santa Anna winds drove a small wildland blaze into the city of Altadena, ultimately killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. This is an episode of community healing from such a devastating loss.

The Thomas Fire started on December 4, 2017, burning 281,893 acres and destroying over 1000 structures, many in the coastal city of Ventura CA.  Andy Ortega, who served for 37 years with the Ventura County Fire Department, recounts the dramatic events of those days when this historic wildfire destroyed his home and many others in Ventura.

The Caldor Fire started on  August 14, 2021, burning 221,835 acres and destroying 1,005 structures in the Eldorado National Forest in northern California. It was the second fire to ever burn to the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, causing the evacuation of South Lake Tahoe.  Captain Brian Newman of CALFIRE recounts the events of this historic wildfire that could not be stopped.

The Tubbs Fire in Sonoma and Napa Counties (CA) started on October 8, 2017 and destroyed 5,643 structures, half of which were homes in the city of Santa Rosa, all destroyed in one day. Capt. Matt Tognozzi tells the story of how this 36,810 acre wildland fire resulted in the deaths of 22 persons and changed perceptions of wildfire in the North Bay Area.

The Glass Fire in Sonoma and Napa Counties (CA) started on September 27, 2020 and destroyed 1,555 structures.  CALFIRE Capt Sean Jerry tells the story of how this 67,484 acre wildland fire burned into small towns and open spaces and was controlled with 23 days.

In the later afternoon of Aug 8, 1997, I rushed home to Los Gatos, a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south of San Jose.  A  fire had broken out in the hills above town and that we were being asked to evacuate.  I raced home to see helicopters overhead with water tankers attacking flames in the shrublands less than a mile from our home.  The story continues in this inaugural episode of "When Wildfire Comes".