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About
Where it all begins.
The 2020 fire season is historical. We'll cover some state level stats for the west coast with specifics on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Top 10 Fires by State/Acreage 1970-2020
California had its 6 largest fires in 2020, Oregon had 4 and Washington had 2. This distribution is disturbing at best. The California August Complex at over a million acres dwarfed any other single fire or complex on the west coast in the last 50 years. 29 out 30 fires on this list happened AFTER 2001, in a 50 year period!
California | |||
Rank | Year | Name | Acres |
1 | 2020 | August Complex North Zone | 1032539 |
2 | 2018 | Ranch | 410202 |
3 | 2020 | Del Puerto | 390647 |
4 | 2020 | Creek | 379801 |
5 | 2020 | Lnu Lightning Complex | 363219 |
6 | 2020 | Claremont-Bear | 318784 |
7 | 2012 | Rush | 315510 |
8 | 2020 | Hennessey | 305650 |
9 | 2017 | Thomas | 281790 |
10 | 2003 | Cedar | 270686 |
Oregon | |||
Rank | Year | Name | Acres |
1 | 2002 | Biscuit | 500329 |
2 | 2012 | Long Draw | 449015 |
3 | 2012 | Holloway | 448547 |
4 | 2020 | Lionshead | 204588 |
5 | 2020 | Beachie Creek | 193615 |
6 | 2017 | Chetco Bar | 190525 |
7 | 2020 | Holiday Farm | 173393 |
8 | 2014 | Saddle Draw | 159209 |
9 | 2012 | Miller Homestead | 138251 |
10 | 2020 | Riverside | 138151 |
Washington | |||
Rank | Year | Name | Acres |
1 | 2014 | Carlton | 233789 |
2 | 2020 | Pearl Hill | 223730 |
3 | 1994 | Tyee | 205813 |
4 | 2006 | Tripod Complex | 175141 |
5 | 2006 | Tripod | 174857 |
6 | 2015 | Tunk Block | 138369 |
7 | 2020 | Whitney | 127411 |
8 | 2017 | Diamond Creek | 126836 |
9 | 2015 | Lime Belt | 120527 |
10 | 2006 | Columbia Complex | 109259 |
The question is, is this an anomaly in the long term trend or is it a periodic occurrence? Let's take a look at the deviation from normal for each state to better answer that question. Below we look at all fires > 1,000 acres for each state over the last 50 years.
Top 10 Fires by State/Trail Miles burned 1970-2020
It's tough being a trail in California. California was impacted heavily by the 2020 fire season, yet only 3 of those fires, in the top 10, impacted the the PCT.
California | |||
Rank | Year | Miles | Name |
1 | 2009 | 39.13 | Station |
2 | 2002 | 27.24 | Pines |
3 | 2000 | 26.79 | Storrie |
4 | 2020 | 25.43 | Claremont-Bear |
5 | 2016 | 20.59 | Blue Cut |
6 | 1999 | 20.32 | Willow |
7 | 2020 | 19.50 | Bobcat |
8 | 2003 | 18.34 | Old |
9 | 2013 | 16.15 | Mountain |
10 | 2000 | 15.69 | Manter |
Oregon | |||
Rank | Year | Miles | Name |
1 | 2020 | 19.68 | Lionshead |
2 | 2017 | 13.05 | Eagle Creek |
3 | 2003 | 12.30 | Booth |
4 | 2017 | 9.52 | Blanket Creek |
5 | 2017 | 9.51 | Blanket |
6 | 2017 | 6.61 | Spruce Lake |
7 | 2017 | 5.40 | Whitewater |
8 | 2017 | 4.02 | Indian Creek |
9 | 2006 | 3.98 | Lake George |
10 | 2008 | 3.81 | Middlefork |
Washington | |||
Rank | Year | Miles | Name |
1 | 2017 | 11.11 | Norse Peak |
2 | 2012 | 7.39 | Cascade Creek |
3 | 2009 | 2.23 | Lemah |
4 | 2003 | 0.91 | Needles |
5 | 1988 | 0.85 | Falls Creek Complex |
6 | 2018 | 0.82 | Holman |
7 | 2018 | 0.39 | Bannock Lakes |
8 | 1997 | 0.38 | Fireweed |
9 | 1970 | 0.35 | Shaw |
10 | 2017 | 0.30 | East Crater |
Total PCT Mileage Affected by Fire in 2020
Six fires crossed the trail this year damaging 81.08 miles of trail. This will account for many, many more miles of trail closures. Expect plenty of detours in 2021.
Rank | State | Miles | Name |
1 | CA | 25.43 | Claremont-Bear |
2 | OR | 19.68 | Lionshead |
3 | CA | 19.50 | Bobcat |
4 | CA | 15.20 | Lake |
5 | CA | 1.25 | Devil |
6 | CA | 0.02 | Pilot Rock |
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