33 Dead In West Coast Fires; 3.2M Acres Burn In CA

CALIFORNIA — Satellite images showed the Golden State almost completely shrouded in smoke from massive wildfires smoldering across the West Coast. In this record-shattering fire season, at least 33 people have died in fires burning from California to Washington state, the Associated Press reported.

In California, the 2020 fire season has burned 3.2 million acres heading into Monday, caused 19 deaths and destroyed more than 4,000 structures.

Residents of the Golden State were hard pressed to find refuge from poor air quality and heavy hazed skies. In some areas, skies became a backdrop of ominous orange from the 3.2 million acres burning across the state.

Experts are now calling this fire season the largest on record for the state. And while Cal Fire has said that 95 percent of wildfires are sparked by human recreational activities, experts and politicians are pointing to the escalation of the overarching issue at hand — climate change.

Democratic governors of all three of the western states with massive fires burning have repeatedly emphasized that rising climates are the reason for this catastrophic wildfire season.

Other politicians, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, took to Twitter over the weekend to voice their concerns over the "climate crisis" in California as striking photos of orange skies and odd weather surfaced around the web, garnering massive attention.

"The West Coast has been punched over and over again by heat waves and scorching winds that have turned wildfires into infernos and air into sludge," Warren tweeted Sunday. "People made this #ClimateCrisis – and people must fight it now to save our planet."

President Donald Trump is slated to arrive in Sacramento Monday to assess the damage of the state's largest wildfire season on record.

The White House tweeted Saturday that Trump will meet with local and federal fire and emergency officials on the the state's wildfires.

READ MORE: Trump To Visit California To Assess Wildfire Devastation

As of Saturday, more than 16,000 firefighters were up against dozens of major wildfires that continued to burn out of control.

First responders continued to search for missing people amid the catastrophic blazes, which have claimed 19 lives.

The deadly firestorm quickly added 2020 to the state's record books for the largest fire season ever in terms of acreage burned. Since the start of the year, more than 3.2 million acres have burned, Cal Fire reported Saturday.

The August Complex had swelled to 846,812 acres Saturday, becoming the largest wildfire in California's modern history. The burned acreage surpassed the other lightning complex fires as fire officials reclassified several different fires, including the Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, and Vinegar fires under the August Complex.

As temperatures dropped following a searing heat wave, crews began to make progress on fires that eluded firefighting abilities earlier in the week. Of the 13 new wildfires that cropped up Friday, only one in Siskiyou County burned out of initial control.

What a normal California September day would look like without wildfire smoke. #cawx pic.twitter.com/1EADhwWCA3
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) September 13, 2020

While weather conditions have improved immensely since last week, with humidity levels expected to rise in the coming days, Cal Fire warned that "critical fire weather" was expected to return next week.

In light of an understaffed fire season that overwhelmed firefighters, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2147 into law, allowing former inmates an opportunity to expunge their records and pursue a career in fire. Those convicted of certain violent or sex crimes will not be eligible.

READ MORE: Newsom Signs Bill Allowing Former Prisoners To Become Firefighters

This scene is unbelievable. The sky is orange...#ClimateChange #ClimateEmergency #CaliforniaFires pic.twitter.com/CVveuFS0ND
— Kelly (@Kelly00831498) September 13, 2020

California officials said the state is facing some of the worst fires to ever impact the West Coast.

"This year’s fire season has been a record-breaking year, in not only the total amount of acres burned, but 6 of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in 2020," Cal Fire said in its daily fire briefing memo.

And it's not just the Golden State that's burning.

Hundreds of firefighters battled two large wildfires Friday that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland, and the governor said dozens of people are missing in other parts of the state.

The state’s emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are “preparing for a mass fatality event” and that thousands of structures have been destroyed.

Gov. Kate Brown said more than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so.

The August Complex, which started Aug. 17 during a lightning storm, is now officially the largest fire recorded in California history, according to Cal Fire. The fire was initially 37 separate blazes, but after fire officials reclassified the Elkhorn and Hopkins fires Friday, the complex has collectively burned an astounding 846,812 acres.

It has burned more than 26 structures, caused one death and is 25 percent contained.

The SCU Lightning Complex, which started Aug. 18, is now the third-largest fire ever in California. It's burned more than 396,000 acres in parts of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties as of Thursday.

Now the fourth-largest fire in California, the LNU Lightning Complex started Aug. 17, is now the ninth most destructive wildfire in state history. It has burned through parts of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties. It's burned 363,220 acres. Five people have been killed in that complex, and another five injuries have been reported.

SEE ALSO: 14 Dramatic Photos Of California Wildfires This Week

The Elkhorn Fire is burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests after starting from lightning Aug. 17 as well. That's burned 255,309 acres and is 27 percent contained as of Thursday. It's now the ninth-largest fire in California history.

Coming in at the 10-largest fire is the North Complex, burning in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties. Three people have died and 10,000 structures have been destroyed in that fire, which started Aug. 18 and has burned 247,358 acres.

And the Creek Fire —which is burning in Fresno and Madera counties — now stands at the 17th-largest fire in state history after just starting Sept. 4. It's still zero percent contained and has burned 175,893 acres.

Here's more on some of the major fires burning as of Sunday morning, via Cal Fire:

**CAL FIRE Incidents**
Willow Fire, Yuba County (more info…)
Willow Glen Road, Dobbins
*1,311 acres, 75% contained
*Evacuations in progress

Oak Fire, Mendocino County (more info…)
North of Willits
*1,100 acres, 85% contained
*Evacuations in place

LNU Lightning Complex, multiple North Bay counties (more info…)
Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Colusa, Solano, and Yolo Counties
*363,220 acres, 96% contained
*Hennessey (merged fires) 305,651 acres, 95% contained
*Wallbridge 55,209 acres, 95% contained
*1,491 structures destroyed
*Evacuations in place
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 2 in command

SCU Lightning Complex, multiple Easy Bay counties (more info…)
Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara San Joaquin, Merced, and Stanislaus Counties
*396,624 acres, 98% contained
*20 fires in the complex, several have merged together
*Evacuations and road closures in place
*224 structures destroyed
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 6 command

CZU August Lightning Complex, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties (more info…)
*86,509 acres, 87% contained
*Multiple fires
*Evacuations and road closures in place
*1,490 structures destroyed
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 3 command

Schoolhouse, Siskiyou County (more info…)
Schoolhouse Gap Road, north of Fort Jones
*45 acres, grass and brush, 70% contained
*Forward spread stopped

**Unified Command Incidents**
North Complex, Plumas County (more info…)
Southwest of Susanville (Plumas National Forest)
*258,802 acres, 26% contained
*Evacuations in place
*Includes the Bear and Claremont Fire
*CAL FIRE Team 4 is now in unified command with US Forest Service IMT Team 4

Creek Fire, Fresno County (more info…)
Northeast of Shaver Lake (Sierra National Forest)
*201,908 acres, 8% contained
*Evacuations in effect
*Heavy tree mortality in the area
*CAL FIRE and US Forest Service in unified command
*CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 1
*Great Basin Team 1

Valley Fire, San Diego County (more info…)
Near Alpine (Cleveland National Forest)
*17,665 acres, 69% contained
*Evacuations in effect
*CAIIMT 15 in command
*CAL FIRE and US Forest Service in unified command

READ MORE: Valley Fire: 17,665 Acres Burned, 32% Contained In East County

El Dorado Fire, San Bernardino County (more info…)
West of Oak Glen (San Bernardino National Forest)
*14,283 acres, 41% contained
*Evacuations in place
*California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 in unified command with CAL FIRE, Yucaipa Fire Department and San Bernardino County Fire Department

READ MORE: More Evacuations Ordered Due To Eldorado Fire

Butte/Tehama/Glenn (BTU/TGU) Lightning Complex, multiple Counties (more info…)
Butte, Tehama and Glenn Counties
*19,609 acres, 95% contained
*Includes multiple other smaller fires
*Decrease in acres as Elkhorn was removed from the Complex and made its own fire.
*16 structures destroyed

The 2020 fire season has been record-breaking, in not only the total amount of acres burned at just over 3 million, but also 6 of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred this year. pic.twitter.com/CmmhH5wTVX
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) September 10, 2020

**Federal Incidents**

August Complex, Tehama County (more info...)
Elk Creek and Stonyford area (Mendocino National Forest)
*877,477 acres 28% contained
*Merged fires including Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, and Vinegar
*Includes multiple fires including the Doe Fire
*A California Interagency incident Management Team and Great Basin Team in command
*A CAL FIRE Incident Management Team is deployed on the west zone of the fire.

Fork Fire, El Dorado County, (more info…)
15 miles northeast of Pollock Pines (El Dorado National Forest)
*2,200 acres, 7% contained
*Evacuation orders remain in place

Slater Fire/Devil Fires, Siskiyou County, (more info…)
*140,802 acres, timber, 0% contained
*Evacuations orders in place

Bobcat Fire, Los Angeles County (more info…)
North of Duarte
Angeles National Forest
*31,991 acres, 6% containment
*Evacuations in progress
*EA Silver Team command

READ MORE: Arcadia Residents Evacuated As Bobcat Fire Races Westward

Lake Fire, Los Angeles County (more info…)
Southwest of Lake Hughes
Angeles National Forest / Los Angeles County Fire Department
* 31,089 acres, 96% contained

Dolan Fire, Monterey County (more info…)
Hwy 1, 10 miles south of Big Sur (Los Padres National Forest)
*117,242 acres, 40% contained
*Structures threatened
*Type 1 NW Team 2 (Allen) in command

Apple Fire, Riverside County (more info…)
Oak Glen/Cherry Valley (San Bernardino National Forest)
*33,424 acres, 95% contained

Red Salmon Complex – Humboldt County (more info…)
14 miles northeast of Willow Creek (Shasta-Trinity National Forest)
*87,782 acres, 16% contained

SQF Complex, Tulare County (more info…)
25 miles north of Kernville (Sequoia National Forest)
*74,304 acres, 12% contained
*Castle and Shotgun Fires merged into this complex

W-5 Cold Springs, Lassen County (more info…)
11 miles east of Madeline (Bureau of Land Management - Northern CA District)
*84,817 acres, 98% containment

Blue Jay Fire, Mariposa County (more info…)
Yosemite National Park Wilderness
*3,350 acres, 20% contained

Wolf Fire, Tuolumne County (more info…)
Yosemite National Park Wilderness
*828 acres, 10% contained

Woodward Fire, Marin County (more info…)
3 miles southwest of Olema (Point Reyes National Seashore)
*4,910 acres, 95% contained

Slink Fire, Mono County (more info…)
2 miles west of Coleville (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest)
*25,131 acres, 50% contained

Moraine, Tulare County (more info…)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness
*558 acres, 70% contained

Rattlesnake, Tulare County (more info…)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness
*1,411 acres, 0% contained

Patch staffers Renee Schiavone and Kat Schuster contributed to this report.